RERAMIC STUDIO 
TIN-ENAMELLED WARE 
Charles F. Binns. 
[Fourth Paper.] 
'"pHE ware, whether vase or tile, being glazed and 
* : dried is now ready for the decoration. An im- 
portant characteristic of Delft ware is that the blue pig- 
ment is laid upon the unburned glaze. This treatment 
develops the peculiar tint of color which is well known to 
collectors and which seems impossible of attainment 
under any other method. 
The use of gum in the glaze as advocated here has 
an important bearing upon the work because a glaze 
containing gum is, when dry, much more easy to handle 
and is not nearly so liable to work up under the brush of 
the^ painter. It has, however, this disadvantage. The 
work being more easy to perform the skill and freedom 
of line which belonged to the ancient workers are, to a 
large extent, lost, moreover the very fact of the glaze 
working up with the color, however troublesome it might 
be, was largely responsible for the pleasing tones of the 
blue and the perfect harmony between base and decora- 
tion. There is no need, however, to court difficulties 
unless some superiority be thereby gained. The surface 
containing the gum can be worked upon with greater 
freedom than the pulverulent glaze which is simply mixed 
in water, and if the color effect of the old style be desired 
a little of the glaze itself may be mixed with the blue. 
The tint of color will probably cause some trouble. 
The underglaze blues which are made in modern times are, 
as a rule, crude in tint because of the purity of the ingre- 
dients from which they are made. In olden times pure 
chemicals could not be procured and hence the colors 
made were soft and harmonious. The remedy is to buy 
several colors and to mix them. Any firm of dealers in 
ceramic colors will supply samples of underglaze blues, 
blacks and browns and a few experimental mixtures 
will result in the desired hue. Blue, of course, is the 
foundation and a little black or brown is usually sufficient 
to tone down the brilliance of the commercial color. A 
little glaze should also be mixed with the blue. This 
not only helps the old fashioned appearance of the blue 
but also makes it melt into the glazed surface more readily. 
Before sending the wares to the kiln due provision 
should be made for proper placing. Stilts are not very 
satisfactory because, if a drop of glaze does run down 
it attaches the stilt firmly to the piece and the result is 
considerable trouble, if not total loss. A better plan is 
to make small discs of a refractory clay and to have these 
exactly the size of the bottom of the vase to be burned. 
These discs should be burned first and then coated with 
an infusible wash, either equal parts of kaolin and flint, 
or equal parts of bone-ash and flint. If a vase be placed 
on one of these and if the glaze does flow it only fastens 
the disc and this, being of a soft clay, is easily ground off. 
If the glaze does not flow the disc can be used over many 
times. 
For the successful burning of tiles some little con- 
trivance is necessary. They must be burned flat and 
not reared and they must be completely protected from 
dust. There is no better plan than to make a number 
of little square saggers, each large enough to hold one 
tile. The tiles are not placed in these but beneath them, 
that is, one tile is set on a level foundation and a sagger 
is inverted over it. Upon the bottom of this sagger, now 
turned upwards, a second tile is set, then another sagger 
inverted and so on. Each tile rests secure from dirt 
beneath its own covering and the pile can be raised as 
high as the kiln will allow. These little square saggers, 
commonly called setters, can be easily made from plastic 
fire clay and if a groove is formed at the base of each so 
that it will lock with its neighbor the work will be the 
more complete. 
Delft ware, to be perfect, should be glazed with a 
second coating after the first one with the decoration, 
has been fired. The glaze so used is the same as the under- 
glaze but without the tin oxide. Either of the glazes 
or enamels already given will form a clear, transparent 
glaze if the tin oxide be omitted. The procedure is the 
same as that already described except that the second 
glaze is put on very thinly. The pieces should be soaked 
as usual and carefully dried for even though glazed the 
body is still porous. The clear glaze is applied exactly 
as the opaque glaze was but mucilage will not be needed. 
The fire should not be so severe as that for the blue 
and enamel but a low heat just sufficient to nicely fuse 
the glaze. 
This second glazing is not, of course, a necessity 
but it adds greatly to the brilliance and quality of the 
ware. 
The Delft potters did not confine themselves to blue 
and it is quite permissible to decorate further with over, 
glaze colors if one so desire. There is, in fact, no end to 
the variety of effects possible. Reds and greens may be 
freely used and even lustres are appropriate. These can 
be fired in the regular overglaze kiln but care must be 
exercised at first lest the colors be over burned. The 
enamel is softer than the usual run of glazes and the colors 
are apt to sink in more easily. The fire should, therefore, 
be very gentle at first until it is seen what the glaze will 
stand. 
It may be well to add a word of caution with regard 
to the thickness of the enamels. In explaining the use 
of matt glazes it has been stated that they can scarcely 
be used too thick and while this is true the same does not 
apply to glazes and enamels of the brilliant type. These 
are apt to flow under fire and if too thick will run and 
spoil the work. Here again a little experience will be 
helpful. If the enamel flows off at the bottom of the vase 
or if the color runs in streaks the coating is too thick. A 
little water must be added to the dip — a very little will 
suffice — and the piece must be shaken more vigorously. 
It is a good plan to place vases after glazing, mouth 
downwards on the stilts, the glaze or enamel will then 
drain towards the upper part of the piece and the top will, 
therefore, have the thicker coating. Then on burning, 
the piece, of course, being set upon its base, there is not 
so great a liability of the enamel flowing down. 
TREATMENT FOR PASSION FLOWER (Page 75) 
F.B. Aulich. 
THIS is a beautiful flower. Some are able to depict 
the sufferings of Christ by showing in the formation 
of the stamens the nails used to crucify our Saviour. 
Take Rosa or American Beauty for the flowers and 
Crimson Purple for the halo around the centers. The 
stamens can be erased with a knife after being dry. For 
the greens use Blue Green, Warm Green and Olive Green. 
Take warmer tones for the point leaves and blueish tones 
for the distance. Tint to suit yourself. 
