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Porcelain
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As was discussed in the general article on pottery, the most important determinates
of the type of pottery made are the
type of clay used and the firing temperature. While other types of pottery are often
made from one type of clay, porcelain is a blend of two elements: Feldspar and Kaolin.
Both of these are essential for “real” porcelain, which we also sometimes call “china”
or “fine china”. After combining these two elements, the resulting pottery is fired at
the highest temperature of any, often exceeding 2200°F. At these high temperatures, the
Feldspar, which is a very common clay containing silica, melts and bonds with the
Koalin forming the translucent white objects we call porcelain.
Porcelain was first produced, perhaps as an accidental overheating of stoneware, in
China where kaolin (from kaolinite) was plentiful. For nearly 700 years the Chinese,
the export of the pieces to Europe creating a stir among the nobility who were the
only ones who could afford the shiny, see-through pottery, closely guarded the secret
to porcelain to maintain their monopoly on its production, and resulting wealth. It
is thought that it was during this time, the twelfth century or so, that the term
“china” was widely accepted as the definition of this type of pottery, rather than
the more specific term “porcelain”. Gradually, the technique for making porcelain
spread to Korea and Japan where it began to be made. But, still, the most beautiful
works for both function and decoration came from China. One only has to mention “Ming
Vase” (circa 1400 AD) to evoke recognition of beauty and craftsmanship, even if a
real one has never been seen, it is synonymous with the very best of porcelain.
Perhaps it was the continuing increase in trade during the early seventeenth century,
or the advent of the English desire for tea and chocolate, which, of course, just
tasted better in a china cup, that led to the attempts in England, France, and
Germany to make porcelain. Lacking raw Kaolin, they experimented with various blends
of clay and silica minerals, but were just unable for centuries to rival the quality
of the Chinese porcelain. The porcelain made during this period, now highly prized
antiques, was called “soft porcelain”, having a more creamy rather that white color
and nearly opaque rather than the translucence characteristic of “hard porcelain”
imported from China. It wouldn’t be until the latter part of the eighteenth century
that Kaolin deposits would be found in Limoges, France and hard porcelain to compete
with the Chinese would be developed in Europe and England. While Limoges porcelain
would soon become dominant in Europe, the names of other manufacturers are filled
with recognition for American buyers and collectors: Meissen; Dresden; Worchester;
Spode; Wedgewood; Ansley and Lenox.
A mention needs to be made of a unique contribution of the British pottery artisans
to porcelain merchandise: bone china. It is most likely that some misunderstanding
or translation issues led to the development of this very hard, completely clear
category of porcelain. In China, the Kaolin was often referred to as the bones of
porcelain, while the feldspar clay was referred to as the flesh. Perhaps this was
because the Kaolin did not actually melt but rather was bonded by the heat to the
melted feldspar. Whatever the reason, some British pottery factories added bone ash
from animal bones to the slip mixture of Kaolin and feldspar resulting in enhanced
porcelain. This was deemed by many in the nineteenth century to be superior to the
hard porcelain imported from Europe, whether for its actual better quality or
nationalistic pride, propelling English Bone China to the “top” as it were of the
value list of porcelains.
Almost all porcelain is decorated in some manner. Only a few manufacturers (notably
Wedgwood) made tableware a plain white. The final strength of porcelain along with
its fine texture made it ideal for
molding intricate figurines, which were painted either before or after the firing.
The Chinese made deep blue (from Cobalt) famous as a predominate color for designs on
the white porcelain tableware. Most all of the Chinese designs were symbolic having
meaning beyond the design itself, whereas European and American designs were simply
artistic renderings on the piece. While on the blue/white color combination made
popular in Europe through Chinese imports, a mention deserves to be made of what is
called “Blue Willow Pattern” porcelain. The design was first made in England around
1780, using transfer decorative techniques (see
pottery for an explanation of this technique). It was an instant success,
not only accompanied by the romantic tale that the design portrayed, but also winning
advertising and the Chinese motif. The design was finalized into what is now called
“Standard Willow Pattern” about the beginning of the nineteenth century. It has been
one of the most copied, imitated, and changed enough by various manufacturers so it
is not an exact rendering of competitors to render myriad modifications of the
original available. The concept was expanded in the United States with figures of
Presidents, flags, eagles and an innumerable other designs all in blue on white
pattern. Most all of the nineteenth century willow pattern porcelain made in England
is marked, and there are books and catalogues of those marks to help the collector be
more certain of the authenticity of the piece. The design continues to be made in
ceramic factories throughout the world and remains as popular now as it was when
first introduced.
Unglazed porcelain is referred to as “bisque”, giving the finished product a softer
feel which some believe is more attractive as a figurine or vase than the shine of
porcelain. Because the clay mixture used is the same as for porcelain, the pieces
have similar tensile strength and fine detail: the difference is in the softer feel
and look. Most of the bisque figurines are painted before firing rather than with
enamel after firing. This technique has the advantage of both bonding the painting
to the bisque and maintaining the delicate appearance since enamel has more shine
and is fired again after the painting to adhere the enamel to the glaze. Merritt’s
Antiques has many
bisque figurines available. Many of the best surviving examples of bisque are
from France, notably Sevres, and Germany, there particularly Dresden.
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