24 
heramic studio 
DESIGN FOR JELLY JAR AND PLATE 
Mrs. Dante C. Babbitt 
■pvIVIDE jar and cover in three exact parts, plate in five, 
-L' bearing in mind a little care and patience expended in 
accuracy to start with is amply rewarded later. Outline 
entire design in Gold. Be very particular to keep a good 
outline, as this makes the flower. The dark portion is deep, 
dull blue, Lacroix Dark Blue, touch of Ruby Purple and Black. 
Float this color in, do not attempt to tint. Leaves keep to 
the grey greens in preference to a warm tone. All bands 
and center of flower a soft dull brown; Brown 4 or 17 is good. 
Outer petals of asters dull soft pink made of Violet of Iron 
and touch of Deep Red Brown. Fire hard. Tint a rich 
cream using a good Old Ivory, clean out design carefully, 
go over blue, strengthen any lines not perfect, also flowers 
and leaves. For the inner row of petals of flowers use a soft 
cream enamel very flatly. Dry well before firing. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENCE 
<J- B.— You can paint over lustre with the ordinary china paints. The 
lustre can be taken off with the eraser for china; it comes off veiy easily. 
Mrs. R.— Any china can be used for the mat paints. The technique 
in water colors and china painting are very similar. The brush should be 
dipped into the painting medium and then pressed against a rag to take out 
all extra oil; some people then dip it in turpentine in the same manner. When 
filling the brush with the color it should be tested on the palette before apply- 
ing to the china to see that the color is evenly distributed in the brush; the 
color should be clear and transparent as in water colors and not heavy as in 
oils. For fuller detail see the March, 1911, issue of the Keramic Studio, which 
contains a lesson by Miss Ehlers. 
K. K. A.— It would be better to fire the punch bowl in a larger kiln, 
although it might fire successfully in the smaller one if heated very slowly. 
The bowl can be tilted sidewise by placing a piece of fire clay under the base 
to hold it in place. The square pieces of clay that are used as supports for 
the shelf in some of the kilns answer nicely for this purpose. The bowl 
should be raised from the floor if placed upright in the kiln. The kiln can 
be used a long time after it begins to crack. When cracked too badly you can 
get a new firing pot. Burnish silver should be applied in two thin afijjhca- 
tions. Mix the powder with tar oil. 
N. F. G. — The following is a formula for mixing gold: 
Take a piece of bullion or a gold coin and place it in a glass 
I'eceptacle, a graduate is best, and pour over it about an ounce and a half of 
aqua regia and let it stand about twenty-four hours. If it does not entirely 
dissolve in that time pour off the solution of gold that has formed into another 
vessel and add a little fresh aqua regia to the undissolved metal. When it is 
all dissolved pour off the solution of gold into the receptacle containing the 
gold which was previously poured off, being careful not to get in any of the 
white powder or chloride of silver, which has gathered in the bottom of the 
glass. Divide the gold into about three or four parts putting each part into 
a separate glass vessel and fill it about half full of water; the vessel should 
hold about a pint. Dissolve proto-sulphate of iron (copperas) in waiTti water 
and add to the gold until a precipitate is formed which should take place at 
once. The liquid will become cloudy and the gold will begin to drop to the 
bottom of the glass. Let it stand imtil it is entirely settled; it should take 
about seven or eight hours; then pour off the clear liquid. Add some of the 
copperas to the liquid to be sure that all the gold has been removed. Pour 
dear water over the gold again and let it stand until it settles, then pour 
off the water and add fresh water again, repeating this several times in order 
to wash the precipitate. Pour .some chloro-hydric acid over to remove any 
possible oxide of iron and then wash it in boiling water. Allow it to settle 
again and then pour off the water and put the moist precipitate in a shallow 
dish that will stand heating and place it before a moderate fire to dry. To 
]5repare the gold for use, grind it until it is very fine. It will probably not 
require much grinding; this can be done by pas.sing it through a thin piece of 
silk. For flux use twelve parts of nitrate of bismuth to one part of pulverized 
borax, using one part of flux to 12 parts of gold for hard fires, and for soft 
wares add borate of lead. Mix the gold with enough fat oil and turpentine 
to make the proper consistency to apply with the brush. It is best to keep 
the gold in powder form and mix it as it is used. 
A. K. — Your trouble was in not having enough flux in the enamel. Use 
one-fifth flux and give it a medium fire. If a good deal of color is used in the 
enamel do not add as much flux but make allowance for the flux in the color. 
Roman gold can be used on Satsuma. 
H. M. D. — For raised jewels u.se Mueller & Hennings Relief White and 
one-fifth flux and you may add any color you wish to make the desired color. 
If the bubbles appear after the firing it is probably caused by too much oil 
or medium. If the Relief White seems very oily, squeeze it out on a piece of 
blotting paper and the oil will become absorbed. Use the cheapest quality 
of "Garden" Lavender oil for thinning the enamel and use as little as possible. 
The most satisfactory raised paste is that which comes in powder form. Try 
mixing it with just enough fat oil to moisten it (not enough to hold the powder 
together), grind it very thoroughly and then add the lavender oil for thinning 
porposes and give it a rather hot fire. Mildew spots often come out on a poor 
grade of china, there is no remedy for it. 
Mrs. W. W. W. — Some people object to the use of Liquid Bright Gold foi' 
the first application because of the texture and color. Two applications of 
Roman gold gives a much softer finish and seems to wear better. 
L. S. G. — You probably did not place your plate exactly in the center of 
the divider; the width of a line's difference will cause a great deal of trouble. 
The directions for dividing in the "Lesson for Beginners" in this month's 
magazine is the most sure way, though a little slower, although i! is very little 
trouble after one is accustomed to it. Directions for using the plate divider 
are ir> the lesson in the March number. 
