Muslims weren’t the first to bake clay to make pots, but they had special skills when it came to glazes and decoration. As a result, they produced some of the most impressive pottery in the world for over a thousand years.
One of their most impressive achievements in the 8th Century was a
metallic glaze called lustre which allowed Muslims to produce the
silver and golden vessels described in the Quran. The lustre glaze was
used on tiles, as well as pots, and gave muslim mosques and palaces a
unique splendour. 
Over
the centuries, Muslim ceramics became a status symbol in Europe and
they continued to add techniques which held the rest of the world in
awe. One of the most famous brands was Maiolica or Majolica ware which
began in the Balearic Islands, which were under Muslim rule until 1230.
The beautiful decoration of Maiolica has dominated Italian ceramic
decoration until the present day.
