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KXRAMIC STUDIO 
This Saint Porchaire ware is unique, being an incrusted 
faience. It was made by two clever artists, Bernard and 
Charpentier, under the supervision of a woman of great taste, 
Helene de Hengest, widow of Arthur Gouffier, governor of 
Francis I. It was of fine paste, worked by hand and very 
thin. Upon the first nucleus the potter spread a still thinner 
layer of purer and whiter clay, in which he graved the princi- 
pal ornaments, then filled them with colored clays, which he 
made level with the surface. 
In connection with the Saint Porchaire faience, we must 
mention the well known Bernard de Palissy ware. Palissy was 
a painter on glass when, in 1539, ne saw a beautiful cup and 
saucer which so enraptured him that he decided to become a 
potter. There is very little doubt that this cup and saucer 
was of Saint Porchaire make, as Palissy lived in the same part 
of the country. And although the faience which he made, 
after sixteen years of patient work, is entirely different, it 
seems probable that the ornamentation in relief as used by 
him was suggested by the same kind of ornamentation on 
St. Porchaire. 
The Palissy dishes with animals in relief are very rare and 
beautiful, his enamel being of very fine quality, the ware light 
and highly finished, the reproduction of animals true to 
nature. The imitations are numerous, some clever, but most 
of them heavy, clumsy and made to deceive only people who 
have never seen a real Palissy dish. A large round basin 
representing Diana leaning on a stag, with dogs around her, 
brought in the Soltykoff sale, $1 ,460. A fine circular dish with 
a lizard in center was bought by G. de Rothschild at the Ber- 
nal sale for $810. It had been bought some time before in a 
broken state for 12 francs ($2.40), and after being restored 
had been sold to Mr. Bernal for $20. 
In many other wares, such as Rouen, Delft, Capo di 
Monte, etc., good genuine specimens may be mentioned as 
bringing high pi ices. Here also reproductions are much more 
common than genuine pieces. Capo di Monte, for instance, 
can be found at almost every antique shop in New York, but 
it is doubtful if there is a single genuine specimen in this 
country. Although some of the modern Capo di Monte 
pieces are clever reproductions of the old, they can easily be 
detected, the body of the ware being heavier and more vitre- 
ous, while the old paste is light, very translucent, of almost 
eggshell texture. 
To the American collector, the only ware of interest at 
present is the Anglo-American pottery of colonial times and 
of the beginning of this century, and the question is often 
asked : " Will this ware keep increasing in value, and what is 
the best to collect?" Although the historical dark blue 
Staffordshire is already at almost prohibitive prices for small 
purses, there seems very little doubt that it will keep increas- 
ing in value more than anything else. As soon as the country 
supply is practically exhausted and the dark blue comes for 
sale only when collections are dispersed, its prices will proba- 
bly be much higher than now. However, one must not forget 
that this ware has been collected early, when the supply, 
especially of the most common subjects, was quite large, and 
that many collections being formed for speculative purposes, 
every rise in value will be met by offers of sale. The cheap- 
est Anglo-American ware to-day may very well be the rare 
pieces of historical dark blue, even if one has to pay $50 for a 
plate and $100 for a platter, or more. These rare pieces may 
some day reach fancy figures, but it is improbable that the 
most common pieces will ever do so. As to the late Stafford- 
shire, printed in light blue, brown, pink, black, etc., outside 
of historical pieces, the value of which will be maintained and 
probably increased, the balance may be considered as hardly 
worth collecting. It is common table ware, like all printed 
Staffordshire, but is lacking the high decorative qualities of 
the dark blue, besides having no historical interest whatever, 
and being of comparatively recent manufacture. 
Among the old wares outside of Staffordshire, collections 
made with good judgment of the best specimens of Wedg- 
wood and his contemporary imitators of Worcester, Derby, 
Minton, Spode, Lowestoft, Bristol, Leeds and others, will 
surely prove to be a good investment, as many of these wares 
have been comparatively neglected by collectors so far, and 
good purchases can be made. Lustres also, especially silver 
and copper lustres, will undoubtedly be always much sought 
after for their decorative qualities. 
For Anglo-American ware, as for any old china, the 
more values rise, the more collectors will have to beware of 
counterfeit pieces. It seems to be the impression among 
many that certain wares, like silver lustres and dark blue 
Staffordshire cannot be imitated. This does not seem justi- 
fied. There would be no difficulty in counterfeiting silver 
lustres by using what the old English potters used, platinum 
lustre, and not silver. As to the famous dark blue, 
it is only cobalt blue which, if applied to the proper body, 
a most essential condition, will produce very deceiving 
counterfeits. 
Strict laws are in force in England, preventing the sale of 
counterfeit china as old china, and obliging manufacturers to 
mark all china coming out of their kilns with their mark and 
the word " England." Unfortunately there are no laws of 
that kind in France, which is the largest producer of counter- 
feit old china, and in this country where this peculiar industry 
has not yet flourished to a great extent, there is nothing to 
prevent the sale of counterfeits. A large consignment of 
spurious Lowestoft, Capo di Monte, Sevres, Rouen, Chelsea, 
etc., was openly sold last winter as old china, in one of the 
leading auction rooms in New York. 
Collectors must not be discouraged by the fact that 
Anglo-American ware, which so far has been comparatively 
free of imitations, will probably have the same fate in this 
respect as other china, as soon as values are an incentive for 
the counterfeit industry, as they are now in many instances. 
These imitations can always be detected, and make collecting 
more interesting. However perfect they are, there are always 
some peculiar marks which will betray their origin. Differ- 
ences in paste, weight, colors and glazes ; and old age and wear 
have left on the best preserved specimens of china, sometimes 
in the appearance of the paste, sometimes in the softness of 
color and glaze, marks which it is impossible to define, but 
which a practiced eye will detect and no modern imitation 
can exactly reproduce. 
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TN THE Miss M. Helen E. Montfort, who is spend- 
C-LJOP9 ' n 2 t ^ ie summer m charge of the National 
League exhibit at the Pan-American, will 
teach in Buffalo during the month of September. 
The new catalogue of L. B. King & Co., of Detroit 
shows a large and varied line of china for decoration. Also 
Bohemian glass which amateurs will find reliable for experi- 
mental glass decoration. The catalogue also shows a good 
line of colors and materials for china and water color 
painting. 
