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Lustreware was first invented in the Middle East in the ninth century
and spread to Europe through Italy and Spain. Lustre is a type of
overglaze where salts of metals, such as platinum, silver, copper and
gold, are mixed with an organic medium and applied to a ceramic body.
During firing, the metallic salts oxidize and fuse with the body, creating
a thin layer of metal. The resist technique seen on this teapot and
cream jug adds an additional step where the design is painted on the surface in a wax-like substance to prevent the metallic glazes from penetrating the area.