Toronto - Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art 
Situated opposite the Royal Ontario Museum and definitely worth a visit, the Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto owes its existence to a pair of private collectors, Mr and Mrs George Gardiner. On exhibition are objets d'art representing over four thousand years of mankind's creativity, including American pottery from the Pre-Columbian period (e.g Nazca, Peru and Mexico), European porcelain (e.g. Delft, Meissen, Vienna, Sèvres and various British manufacturers) and Italian Majolica. Also rather special is a delightful series of "Commedia dell'arte" figurines.
|
Must-see attractions nearby:
|
Things to See
Ancient Americas / Pre-Columbian Ceramics
The Ancient Americas collection of pottery at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art is the largest of its kind in Canada. The dates of the collection range from 2500 BP (before present) up until before 1492, the arrival of Columbus.
Chinese Porcelain
The 200 pieces that comprise the R. Murray and Ann Walker Bell Collection of Blue and White Chinese Porcelain were donated to the museum in 1998. The pieces are all blue and white porcelain dating from the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1643) and the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1912). These porcelain pieces were originally exported to Europe and caused the Europeans to mimic them and produce their own porcelain.
English Delftware
During the 16th C, the English began to produce their equivalent of Italian Maiolica, English Delftware. The name delftware, comes from the fact that the products being produced in England were very similar to those of Delft, a Dutch town.
The English Delftware collection at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art also contains English Slipware.
The English Delftware collection at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art also contains English Slipware.
English Porcelain
The porcelain exhibit focuses on the two types of porcelain made in Europe during the 18th C, Hard-Paste Porcelain and Soft-Paste Porcelain. The Hard-Paste Porcelain is essentially made the same way as Oriental Porcelain. On display are pieces from England, France, and Germany in particular as well as porcelain scent bottles.
Italian Renaissance Maiolica
The Italian Renaissance Maiolica collection at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art features over 100 pieces (one of the largest collections in North America) from Italy including; Deruta, Florence, and Venice. The pieces in the Italian Renaissance Maiolica collection are from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Modern Contemporary Porcelain
In 1998 the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art began to collect contemporary ceramics. The Milrad collection, donated by Aaron Milrad (who helped the Gardiners establish the museum), was donated in 1999. The collection features 70 pieces of Canadian, American, and British ceramics which Milrad collected for 25 years.
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art
111 Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M5S2C7
Canada
111 Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M5S2C7
Canada
Phone 1 (416) 586-8080
Fax 1 (416) 586-8085
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Disabled
Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Restaurant or food service
