

CERAMIC WARE. 237 



a very pure clay, in point of fact. Much of our porcelain 

 clay is obtained in this very manner. 



And now a very natural question is the following. What 

 sort of porcelain is that for which England has become so 

 celebrated? What is the material out of which our Rose 

 and Minton and Copeland fashion their most exquisite ser- 

 vices? The proper designation is almost wanting. We 

 English can make real porcelain if we like, and make it beau- 

 tifully, in proof of which some cups and saucers as thin as 

 an egg-shell, made by Mr. Rose, may be appealed to. Be the 

 fact known that ' egg-shell porcelain,' as it is called, from 

 its thinness, was long regarded as the ne plus ultra of Chinese 

 art not to be manufactured in Europe. We English can 

 make true or hard porcelain if we please, but it is not our 

 specialty. We have invented a white ceramic material of 

 our own ; one the peculiar characteristic of which is the pre- 

 sence of bone earth. Objects of this material are more easily 

 made than of hard porcelain body. Surfaces of it not only 

 take colour better, but the tints wear longer. Hence it happens 

 that nowhere can be found such exquisitely beautiful house- 

 hold pottery as here in England, of our own national manu- 

 facture. Germany and France produce magnificent ceramic 

 articles de luxe ; but as regards the pottery of domestic life 

 we immeasurably surpass them. But for the historical in- 

 terest which attaches to true porcelain, there seems no reason 

 wherefore our own bone-earth ware should not be substituted 

 in all cases. The material is equally plastic, and lends itself, 

 perhaps, better than hard porcelain to the necessities of colour 

 orn amentation . 



These are points, however, which most persons who 

 read this sketch have had repeated opportunities of judging 

 for themselves. If a dispassionate comparative survey of 

 any foreign and British ceramic wares creates any other im- 

 pression than pride for British art, I shall be surprised. The 

 French have larger articles than British manufacturers: 



