THE POTTER'S ART. 



from the hard porcelain : first, that the paste is fusible at a 

 certain temperature lower than that at which the hard porcelain is 

 baked ; and, secondly, that the glaze is so soft that it may be 

 scratched with a steel fork or knife. 



This artificial imitation of porcelain enjoyed for a long time 

 great celebrity ; and after its manufacture was discontinued, it 

 was still more eagerly sought by amateurs, and its price was 

 enhanced by its comparative scarcity. 



2. The very defects of this artificial porcelain conferred upon it 

 some advantages, in its decoration, over the real porcelain made 

 from the paste of kaolin and felspar. The softness of the glaze 

 caused painting laid over it to penetrate more or less into it, and 

 thus to assume the appearance of being incorporated with it. It 

 had the same effect as if it were placed under the glaze, retaining 

 nevertheless the most perfect brilliancy. This is an effect difficult 

 to be attained, owing to the facility with which the colouring 

 matter is affected by the saline constituents of the glaze. It has 

 not reappeared in the productions of the Sdvres factory since the 

 fabrication of the pate tendre was discontinued there. Since the 

 great Exhibition, however, some of the British manufacturers 

 have produced similar effects. 



There are certain coloured grounds which are eminently 

 characteristic of the old Sevres porcelain, the proper porcelain 

 paste not being in the same degree susceptible of receiving them. 

 These are the beautiful light blue called TURQUOISE, from its 

 resemblance to the colour of the stone of that name, the GROS 

 BLEU, the GREEN obtained from copper, and the red distinguished 

 as the ROSE DUBARRY, from the preference shewn to it by the 

 notorious mistress of Louis XV. 



Although this factitious ware contained no portion of either of 

 the essential constituents of true porcelain, and ought not, there- 

 fore, ever to have received the name, or to be regarded as anything 

 else than a spurious imitation of that admired production of Art ; 

 it must at the same time be admitted to be, in its superficial and 

 external qualities, a beautiful copy of a beautiful original, and to 

 require in its preparation and fabrication much more profound 

 resources of science and art than what is composed chiefly of 

 matters which nature presents nearly in the state in which 

 they enter into the composition of the article fabricated. To 

 discover and fitly combine the complicated elements of this 

 artificial porcelain required patient research, great chemical skill, 

 much sagacity, perseverance, and genius ; while the casual dis- 

 covery of a vein of kaolin and felspar would have at once 

 enabled any potter, already master of his art, to fabricate the 

 genuine porcelain. 

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