178 
I1ERAMIC STUDIO 
LOSANTI WARE 
Louise McLaughlin 
ABOUT three years ago, I was tempted to enter into what 
seemed, in this country at least, an unoccupied field, 
that of the production of decorative porcelain. Having forti- 
fied myself with such directions and formulas as could be 
found in books, I had a small kiln built in my garden and 
embarked in an enterprise which proved to be even more 
absorbing than was anticipated. 
There is an old adage, which it is not pleasant to remem- 
ber in this connection, the application of which is, however, 
very obvious. Having rushed into this temple of mysteries 
then, I was not willing to withdraw until some of its secrets 
had become mine. It did not take long to discover that there 
was no royal road to this consummation. It is best perhaps, 
at present, to pass over the events of the first few months in 
silence. If there was a single detail of the work where the 
way was not made hard, memory fails to recall it. From the 
potter whose aid was sought in preparing the clay, and whose 
product was so compounded that the first kiln full melted 
into shapeless masses, to the neighbors who objected to the 
smoke, nothing was lacking to prove to the amateur potter 
that the way was not strewn with roses. 
Without entering further into the harrassing details of 
this time of which an history might be written, it is enough 
to say that, at the end of several months, I found myself 
again at the beginning, confronted by a problem which must 
be worked out, if at all, by my own unaided effort. 
The matter of fuel, body, glaze and long technicality of the 
manufacture was to be worked out by one who knew next to 
nothing of practical pottery. The question of fuel, a very 
important one, under the circumstances, was solved by the 
choice of Connellsville coke. This selection was made con- 
trary to advice, and from this point on, it was found that the 
very things pronounced impossible by even experienced pot- 
ters proved to be entirely feasible. Having broken every one 
of the cardinal laws of pottery, the writer may be pardoned a 
growing disinclination to heed traditional rules. 
In the making of porcelain, tradition as to methods has 
more weight perhaps than in other branches of the potter's 
art, but even here there may be many variations while the 
distinctive characteristics of the ware are retained. The in- 
finite number of possible chemical combinations together with 
ound. 
Large Vase, 7 inches high ; decoration in pale pink and green on white gr< 
Second Vase, 6 inches high; dark grey blue ground with decoration in white and 
green. Small Vase, 4H inches high; carved decoration with open work band 
around the top. 
ase with open work top. 5% inches high; pal 
ies high ; ground tinted with pale blue, with dc 
re, 3Ys inches high ; grey and blue mottled. 
