276 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
TREATMENT FOR TULIP CUP 
Nora D. Adams 
OUTLINE the design with black and fire. Then apply a 
rather dark tint of Brown, 4 or 17, to the lower part of 
cup and middle of saucer. Tint the cup inside with a light 
tone of the same color in order to do away with the cold 
Acta. Aclzms. 
white of the china. Rub the borders perfectly clean with 
alcohol and paint in the background with Red Gold Bronze. 
Paint the tulips with thin Ruby Lustre leaves and stems with 
Yellow Lustre, and fire. The bronze should be applied very 
carefully and evenly, so that it can be burnished after this 
firing. For a third firing go over the Yellow Lustre with 
Light Green Lustre, retouch the outlines if necessary and 
paint in the narrow edge design below the borders with 
black. The handle should be bronze. Cup and saucer may 
have a narrow rim of Yellow Gold. 
Among the interesting bits of old pottery in the Metro- 
politan Museum of Art is an exquisite Chinese porcelain vase, 
upon which appears a quaint portrait of George Washington. 
The portrait of the great American shows that even a hun- 
dred years ago his fame had traveled far. The Chinese touch 
will be recognized in the slanting eyes and eyebrows and in 
the semi-Chinese, semi-European dress, but the likeness is 
very good and the work is aesthetic as well as curious, 
see 
It is stated by the Roman writer Pliny, that the art of 
making glass was accidentally discovered by some merchants 
who were traveling with nitre, and stopped near a river issuing 
from Mount Carmel. Not readily finding stones to rest their 
kettles on, they employed some pieces of their nitre for that 
purpose. The nitre, gradually dissolving by the heat of the 
fire, mixed with the sand, and a transparent matter flowed, 
which was, in fact, glass. 
To the X. L. M. P. Board of Managers: 
The excellent circular of your educational committee has been read 
in the Brooklyn Society, and I think you can safely count upon a fair 
showing from our members for the Comparative Exhibition. They appre- 
ciate your efforts to bring about this interesting exhibition, and are de- 
sirous of sharing the labor involved in its being shown in New York. 
Faithfully yours, Mrs. Worth Osgood, 
President Brooklyn Society of Mineral Painters. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
This column in only for subscribers whose names appear upon our list. Plcsge 
do not send stamped envelopes for reply. The editors can answer questions only 
in this column. 
P. C. O.— If your blood red ground color chipped, it must have been 
laid too heavy. That is, too much oil, so that more color was absorbed 
than the glaze could carry. If your paste for gold rnbs off after firing, it 
is nnderfired and hard fire will remedy it, or the paste may have been too 
fat. "We prefer lavender to turpentine for thinning after the fat oil has 
been rubbed in. Try one plate more with a hard fire and if it still rubs off 
you will have to take sandpaper and remove all the rest and do it over again. 
Por your soup plates (new shape) we have given many simple conven- 
tional borders which would be appropriate and decorative. The chief 
thing is to use a simple design and we can suggest nothing better than 
one in blue and white similar to the designs of Miss Peacock's exhibit in 
the January Keramic Studio. Use a Copenhagen or greyish blue, or if 
you prefer some other color, the monochromatic effect can be carried out 
in green or any other desired shade. 
Mrs.W. A. R. — You will find a recipe for liquid bright gold on page 267. 
The only reasons we can suggest for your red brown and ruby purple 
scaling is that the color was laid too heavy or too much oil used, or pos- 
sibly the china was of a very hard glaze and the color was not sufficiently 
fired. We do not understand just why it did not scale for several weeks, 
it often happens so, we should say the color was ready to scale when fired, 
but needed a little wear or exposure to the atmosphere to detach entirely. 
Gold will fire properly at a much lower temperature than ruby purple. 
A. B. C. — Royal Worcester colors are colors once very much used at 
the Royal Worcester Works, England, they have a matt surface, that is, 
they have no glaze or very little, and have a texture like cloth. They are 
not so much used now, they are overglaze colors without a glaze and do 
not wear so well as the glazed colors. They are only appropriate on 
purely decorative pieces, as for table wear they show the grease and are 
hard to clean. Gold is called matt when it has the dull finish of gold only 
scoured, not burnished, this is often attained by burnishing and then re- 
firing without burnishing or scouring. The matt colors are only appro- 
priate for conventional work. The painting effect is not at all satisfactory. 
B. McM. — We cannot satisfactorily explain the singular accident to 
your tankard except by suggesting that your kiln may have been damp 
from standing so long; even so, if there is sufficient ventilation the mois- 
ture should have been carried off instead of settling on the piece. Was 
there any other piece in the kiln, and how did it come out ? We will re- 
peat your description of your tankard in hope that some subscriber may 
be able to give an explanation. 
" A tankard came out of first fire right with exception of one place 
where the paint, light blue, seemed to creep together and leave the china 
bare ; when it came from the second fire, it looked as if water had spat- 
tered all over the top and run down the sides in streaks. The paint had 
crept together all over the top. It was painted carefully, not too much 
oil or medium, and had been standing in a warm room for several days. 
It was not Belleek. It was fired in a charcoal kiln which hud not beenused 
for several Months and the weather had been very dampprevious tothe firing." 
We should suggest always firing up the kiln till red hot before using, 
after it has stood so long, especially where damp. In fact it should always 
be warmed up before using until hot enough to make any moisture evaporate. 
Mrs. Waters.— The ribbon gold can be bought at any dental supply 
establishment, and is the most satisfactory to use. 
Do not use red precipitate for alloy, but the bismuth and borax, as 
mentioned in the October, J 81)9 issue. Try using the Ferrows Sulphate 
weaker, pouring it into the chloride of gold very slowly. It would not 
hurt the gold precipitate to be dried quickly, but always cover. Dres- 
den thick oil is preferable to mix powder with, tar oil can also be used. 
P. M. D.— The powder Dresden Relief White that you mention is 
hard, and should be used with one-eighth flux— first grinding with tur- 
pentine and a very little Dresden Thick Oil. If you follow the directions 
of Keramic Studio in the articles on enamel, you will have no trouble. 
E. G. S.— In January number, 1901, you will find article on lustres. 
H. B. — If the oil was on evenly, your color should have been perfect, 
unless you did not have enough on. You must let the oil take all the 
color that it will hold, and then with the cotton filled with powder rub in 
gently all over until no more will stick, then brush off all the superfluous 
powder. Unless the color now fired is very heavy, yon can put another 
tint over it by dusting on the powder— but if the color is thick, then go 
over it again with a tint mixed with oil— not the dubting process. 
H. E. J.— The Belleek tankards are apt to crack from the bottom un- 
less fired upside down, or placed on a piece of Platten or nnglazed tile. 
The crack may hold together by using a soft enamel over it on the inside 
of the tankard. The time of firing is too long {±% hours). Have you tried 
using a larger supply pipe and twenty light meter ? The black specks 
were in the ware and no fault of yours. 
