Coimbra Ceramics

Coimbra's ceramic tableware dates back to the 16th century, and includes a variety of pieces traditionally in monochrome shades of cobalt blue, but also in shades of yellow, green and ochre. This emblematic craft from the northern Portuguese city has been world-renowned for centuries.

During the 16th century, the "malegueiros", so named because they came from the Spanish city of Malaga, were the first artists to introduce the ceramic technique to the Coimbra region.

Benefiting from their privileged status, the Malegueiros quickly accumulated wealth, obtained titles of nobility and prospered. In 1886, Coimbra had no fewer than 11 ceramic tableware factories, and in the 2000s, the famous ESTACO factory employed over 1,000 craftsmen, not counting its production unit in Mozambique.

Today, Coimbra's ceramic tableware continues to exert a great fascination in the collective imagination, arousing affection, respect and curiosity. Rare pieces from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries are now part of private collections and fetch high prices at auction.

This is also an opportunity for some talented craftsmen to rediscover ancestral manufacturing processes and reproduce historic pieces of high-end Coimbra ceramic tableware.