63 
dominion in Britain, the extent of the Mahomedan empire in the 
Old World, and the Aztec dominion in the New, might alike be 
clearly pointed out by their pottery. 
The Egyptians largely employed glaze or enamel in covering 
small figures and other ornamental forms, the interior parts of 
which are formed of grains of sand, cemented by melted matter, 
and so hard as to draw sparks from steel. As works of art they 
are of little value, but they show that the Egyptians had made the 
first step towards the invention of porcelain; but a further step 
was undoubtedly required to produce a ware at the same time 
compact as stone and brilliant as glass; and this discovery is due 
to the Chinese. The Egyptians, although they possessed the 
requisite materials, failed to combine them so as to produce a true 
porcelain. 
Artificial clays seem to have been first employed by the Chinese 
for their pottery or porcelain as early as 163 before Christ. The 
term pottery is applied to all ware which is distinguished from 
porcelain by being opaque and not translucid. 
For many centuries the only porcelain known in Europe was the 
Chinese. All through the middle ages, and down to our own 
time, pottery w^as, of course, extensively made for the every day 
requirements of domestic life ; but the manufacture of the semi¬ 
transparent porcelain was unknown, and specimens of “ porselyn,” 
brought from the East, were scarce and highly prized. As may 
be supposed, attempts were soon made to discover the art of 
making this beautiful material. It has recently been ascertained 
that soft porcelain was for a short time made at Florence under the 
Medici as early as 1575. About 1700 porcelain began to be made 
by the French at St. Cloud ; but with these exceptional instances, 
chemists had endeavoured for two centuries to imitate the Chinese 
porcelain, but could not approach nearer than earthenware. 
In 1709, however, true porcelain was undoubtedly made at 
Dresden, and from that period the art rapidly spread. Numerous 
fabrics were made in Germany. In England, the Chelsea manu¬ 
facture was well established in 1745, and arrived at a great degree*, 
of perfection in 1762. The art struck root rapidly in France. 
Porcelain of the highest quality was made at Vincennes and after¬ 
wards at Sevres, under royal patronage, from 1750. So popular, 
indeed, had the art become, that there were few Royal Houses in 
Europe that had not a manufactory attached to the Court. Besides 
the numerous German fabrics, a fine porcelain was made under the 
auspices of the King of Naples at Capo di Monte, also at Buen 
Retiro, in Madrid. 
Although the English manufacturers had not the advantage of 
royal subsidies, they still produced porcelain of the highest quality. 
In the palmy days of the Chelsea fabric, viz., from 1750 to 1765, 
very fine specimens were made, especially remarkable for the fine 
claret colours and deep blue. At Worcester, they not only made 
porcelain of a richly decorated character, but here was introduced 
