The material used to make this bowl is known in Italy as maiolica. It is earthenware with a thick, opaque white surface called tin glaze. Maiolica was one of the first ceramics to be used specifically as a vehicle for painted decoration, either in lustre or in painted enamels.As a branch of pottery manufacture, maiolica was established in the northern half of Italy by the mid-15th century when the pots were often decorated with bold patterns in green and purple.Maiolica was a very fashionable material in Renaissance Italy. Large services of plates and dishes like this were ordered by aristocratic families, and boldly decorated with the family's coat of arms.