SEVRES PATE TENDRE. 



The fabrication of this celebrated pottery commenced in France 

 about the year 1695, and was continued for more than a century. 

 The existence of true kaolin in France was not discovered until 

 1768, when the manufacture of real porcelain was commenced, and 

 was prosecuted concurrently with the fictitious porcelain until 

 1804, when the fabrication of the latter was discontinued ; and 

 since that time the real porcelain only has been produced in the 

 French Royal Manufactory. 



3. Among amateurs in porcelain, including even those who are 

 otherwise well-informed, there prevails a notion that the art of 

 fabricating the tender porcelain of Sevres has been lost, and that, 

 since it is impossible to reproduce the articles, they must neces- 

 sarily have a high value in the market. This, however, is 

 erroneous. All the materials and processes for the fabrication of 

 this description of artificial porcelain are preserved at Sevres, 

 and the manufacture can be re-established whenever it is 

 desired to do so. Indeed, we are informed that the Adminis- 

 tration entertains an intention of recommencing the fabrication 

 of this description of porcelain for articles of ornament, such 

 as vases, pictures, &c., the imperfections incidental to it not 

 affecting such objects. 



In 1695, when the first attempt at the fabrication of the pate 

 tendre was made, the porcelain works at St. Cloud were the 

 propertv of a private individual named Morin. The invention of 

 this artificial paste was the result of twenty-five years of labour 

 and research. It appears, therefore, that this manufacture com- 

 menced about fifteen years before the discovery of kaolin, and the 

 commencement of the fabrication of hard or real porcelain at 

 Dresden. 



4. The establishment which has since attained such celebrity as 

 the Royal Sevres Porcelain AVorks, was previously established at 

 Yincennes, where it was first conducted as a private enterprise. 

 In 1753, Louis XV. became joint-proprietor of it, taking a third 

 share, and gave it the sanction of royal protection, and the title of 

 the Royal Manufacture of Porcelain. Having attained, about 

 1754, great celebrity from the extraordinary perfection and 

 beauty of its productions, and especially for a magnificent service 

 presented by the king to the Empress Catherine of Russia, the 

 manufacture enlarging its works, the buildings at Vincennes were 

 found to be too confined for its more extended operations : and 

 a site having been obtained at the village of Sevres, on the 

 highroad from Paris to Versailles, a building on a vast scale 

 was erected there for the manufacture, which was removed there 

 in 1756. 



A few years later, in 1760, the king purchased the interests of 



M 2 163 



