INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



struction; but for standard pieces, such as plates, 

 cups, or saucers, there are several well-known methods 

 that economize both time and space. Thus, plates may 

 be placed horizontally one above another in the sagger 

 by the use of little pieces called " thimbles," three 

 thimbles to each plate. The thimble is a little piece 

 of fired clay shaped like a thimble, as the name implies, 

 but having a little spur, or projection, on one side, 

 which comes in contact with the edge and back of the 

 plate it supports. Three of these are placed in the 

 holes of the frame or ring made to receive them, the 

 triangle thus formed being of exactly the right size 

 so that a plate to be glazed rests against the little 

 projections on the thimbles without touching anything 

 else. Three more thimbles are then fitted into the 

 first three, and another plate placed on them, and this 

 process repeated until the stack is high enough to fill 

 the sagger. A ring, with three projections that fit 

 into the three upper thimbles, is then placed on the top, 

 binding the whole firmly together. Plates so placed 

 are said to be "dottled," and this is the method used 

 in most factories for placing the best grade of ware. 



Another method is to use a combination of thimbles 

 and saddles for supporting the plates vertically in the 

 sagger. Saddles are long, triangular pieces of fired 

 clay. Two of these are laid parallel in the bottom of 

 the sagger at such a distance from each other that a 

 plate placed vertically rests on their upturned edges 

 without touching at any other point. A thimble is used 

 at the top of each plate, making the third point of 

 support, each thimble socketed into its neighbor to 



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