One walked through rooms of majolica plates and cassone panels, fascinating if minor works that were carefully chosen to suggest a social ambience.

Indian baskets, majolica plates.

Only the majolica plate - and that is so firmly set in the wall.

Linguine, shrimp, arugula, beets, olives and majolica plates line the kitchen counter.

As you immediately see from the majolica plates and tiles embedded in the station wall, Deruta is a major ceramic center, and has been one since at least the 14th century.

The collection also includes decorative objects, majolica plates and several examples of Renaissance furniture.

The vulgarity is integral to the glory, just as it is in majolica plates or Puccini operas.

For the Dutch porcelain maker Royal Tichelaar Makkum (www.tichelaar.nl), she made a series of majolica plates, partly stone-glazed and partly painted to reveal that they were hand-dipped.

The curators have arranged original and replica furnishings there, including majolica plates, rag rugs and an easel specked with paint.

Its experts evaluated the tea set at $100 and the majolica plate at $300, assuming both were in good condition.