CONTINENTAL PORCELAIN
Porcelain has this distinguishing characteristic, that when held up to a strong light it appears translucent, unlike fayence, which is perfectly opaque. Its fracture is hard and white internally, like a broken piece of alabaster.
Porcelain of soft paste has the appearance of an unctuous white enamel like cream; it is also to the touch of a soft, warm, and soapy nature, something like the surface of fine fayence. The pâte tendre is also soft in another sense, being unable to bear so great a degree of heat in the furnace as hard porcelain. The soft paste may, therefore, be easily cut or scratched with a steel point or a file, which would have no effect upon the hard paste; it is consequently liable to become much scratched by frequent use. The hard paste or true porcelain is of the whiteness of milk; it feels to the touch of a hard and cold nature, and is somewhat heavier than the soft; underneath the plates and other pieces the rim or edge is left unpolished, or without glaze.
The painting upon porcelain is executed after the ware has been baked. Whilst in a biscuit state, the piece to be painted is dipped into a diluted glaze; it readily absorbs the water, leaving on the surface a thin coating of components which quickly dries into a solid shell, uniformly thick over all its parts, and sufficiently firm to bear handling without being rubbed off during removal into the seggar or case which protects it in the kiln.
The amateur must be upon his guard in collecting porcelain, and not place too much reliance on the marks which he may find upon the ware. When the mark is not indented on the paste, or baked with the porcelain when at its greatest heat (au grand feu), it gives no guarantee of its genuineness. The mark was nearly always affixed before glazing. It is necessary in forming a correct judgment of the authenticity of a piece of valuable china, such as Sèvres, that many things be taken into consideration: First, above all it is most important to be satisfied whether the porcelain be of hard or soft paste, and whether such description of paste was made at the particular epoch represented by the mark; then, if the decoration be in keeping with the style adopted at the time indicated, the colours, the finish, and various other indicia must also be taken into consideration.
ITALY
Florence. The first successful attempt in Europe to imitate porcelain was made at Florence as early as 1580, under the auspices of Francesco I. de’ Medici, but it was not so hard as that of China; that is to say, it was not composed of kaolin and petuntse, but was a soft paste and translucent, which is one of the principal tests of porcelain. For some reason, the manufacture of this porcelain was abandoned after the death of the inventor.
Fig. 107.—Cruet.
Fig. 107, a cruet for oil and vinegar, has scroll ornament in blue; on either spout A and O (Aceto and Olio). About 1600.
Fig. 108, a bowl, is painted inside and out with blue flowers. About 1600.
Fig. 108.—Bowl.
Doccia. The manufactory was founded in 1735 by the Marquis Carlo Ginori, contemporaneously with the manufactory at Sèvres. About 1760 it rose to great importance, and large groups were executed from the models of the most celebrated sculptors. In 1821 the moulds of the Capo di Monte porcelain were transferred to Doccia.
Fig. 109.—Teapot.
About 1860 the fabrication of the imitative Capo di Monte ware of the 18th century, in coloured mezzo-rilievo, was brought to great perfection, as well as the successful imitation of the maiolica of Xanto and Maestro Giorgio of the 16th century, by the invention and introduction of metallic lustres in the colouring.
Fig. 110.—Basin.
Fig. 109, a teapot, is painted with flowers and purple border.
Fig. 110, a basin, has a band of flowers in relief. Diameter 5½ in.
Naples—Capo di Monte. This manufactory was founded by Charles III. in 1736. It is considered of native origin, as the art, which was kept so profound a secret in Dresden, could, at that early period, have scarcely had time to be introduced here, and the character of its productions are also essentially different. The king himself took great interest in it, and is said to have worked occasionally in the manufactory. The beautiful Capo di Monte services and groups in coloured relief are of the second period, circa 1760.
Fig. 111.—Vase.
Fig. 112.—Saucer.
Fig. 113.—Cup and Saucer.
Fig. 114.—Coffee-pot.
Fig. 111, a vase, has green ornaments, on gold ground, and medallions of figures.
Fig. 112, a saucer, bears a portrait of Ferdinand IV. and legend.
Fig. 113, a cup and saucer, is painted with landscape and figures.
Fig. 114, a coffee-pot, has classical subjects.
Treviso. There was a manufactory of soft porcelain probably established towards the end of the 18th century, carried on by the brothers Giuseppe and Andrea Fontebasso.
Fig. 115.—Écuelle.
Fig. 115, an écuelle, with blue ground, has gold fret borders and oval medallions of Italian buildings, landscapes, and figures.
Fig. 116.—Cup and Saucer.
Fig. 116, the cup is painted with a garden scene, with a man and woman holding flowers, the former also holding a bird, the latter a cage.
Turin—Vinovo. Vittorio Amedeo Gioanetti established a manufactory of porcelain at Vinovo or Vineuf in 1770. Attempts in this direction had been previously made, but they were unsuccessful, and it was not until Gioanetti applied himself to the manufacture that it succeeded. The ware was noted for its fine grain and the whiteness of its glaze, as well as for the colours employed in its decoration.
Fig. 117.—Écuelle.
Fig. 117, an écuelle, is ornamented in gold, with initials and the Royal Arms.
Venice. Porcelain of soft paste was made here probably about 1720.
The “Casa eccellentissima Vezzi” was founded by Francesco Vezzi, a goldsmith of Venice. He invested the sum of 30,000 ducats in a porcelain company, amongst whose shareholders were Luca Mantovani and others. The site of the Vezzi manufactory of porcelain was at S. Nicolo in Venice. How long after Vezzi’s death it was carried on does not appear, but judging from the statements made to the Senate in 1765, it did not long survive him, and the secret of his process for making porcelain had evidently not been disclosed.
Materials for making porcelain were to be obtained in the Venetian dominions, but not such as to produce the hard or Oriental porcelain; they were therefore procured from Saxony, as were probably also some of the workmen, which will account for the fact that the “Casa eccellentissima Vezzi” produced both hard and soft paste.
The pieces made at the Vezzi manufactory are painted with masquerades, grotesque Chinese figures and decorations in relief, flowers, birds, arabesques, and geometrical patterns and colours, statuettes, &c., especially in the Venetian red which pervades all the decorations, the handles, borders, and mouldings being sometimes covered with silver or platinum, producing the effect of oxidised metal mountings. Another striking peculiarity in the decoration of porcelain of this period is a border of black or coloured diaper work formed by crossed lines, having in the interstices small gilt points or crosses bordered by scrolls. These specimens are mostly of hard paste in the form of bowls, plates, tureens, &c.
Fig. 118.—Vase and Cover.
Fig. 119.—Vase. Cozzi period.
Height 17 in.
A beautiful example of this porcelain is represented in Fig. 118, a vase and cover of hard paste painted in lake camaïeu, heightened by gold, with a continuous landscape; the peculiar border, noticed above, with marks and interlaced bands, is shown on the cover; the edges, knob, and flutings are raised and plated with silver or platinum.
After the Vezzi manufactory had ceased to exist we have no documents to prove that any efforts were made to introduce the manufacture of porcelain into Venice until December 1757, when a petition was presented to the Venetian College by Frederick Hewelcke & Co., who stated that the sale introduced and directed by them in Dresden of Saxon porcelain had been carried on in a very flourishing manner, but that in consequence of the then existing war (the Seven Years’ War, which commenced in 1756), they had been obliged to abandon Saxony and to seek refuge in a foreign country.
On the 18th of March 1758, a decree granted to the Hewelckes the privileges they had requested. It seems that the undertaking proved eventually to be unfortunate, and at the termination of that war, which had brought them to Venice, they returned to their native country.
In 1765, the Senate granted to Giminiano Cozzi, in the Contrada di San Giobbe, Venice, protection and pecuniary assistance in carrying out a manufacture of porcelain. Cozzi’s first efforts were directed towards the imitation of the Oriental ware; and a very large trade was carried on by him for nearly fifty years. He produced statuettes in biscuit, in glazed white porcelain, and coloured groups, vases, &c. The gilding on Cozzi’s porcelain is especially fine, the pure gold of the sequin having been used in its decoration.
The manufactory ceased to exist in 1812.
Nove. The manufacture of porcelain at Nove may be traced back as far as the 12th January 1752, when Pasqual Antonibon brought from Dresden a certain Sigismund Fischer to construct a furnace for making porcelain in the Saxon style.
From this time forward he continued his experiments, and must have made great progress in the art, for in February 1761 he had three furnaces, of which one was for Saxon (ad uso di Sassonia), the other two for French porcelain (ad uso di Francia).
In 1762, Antonibon submitted specimens of his porcelain to the Board of Trade, and petitioned that the patent rights which had been conceded to Hewelcke should be extended to him. At that time, the report states, Antonibon had at Nove a manufactory, rich in buildings, machinery, and tools. The capital embarked in it was estimated at 80,000 ducats, and so great was the sale of his products that he gave employment to 150 men and their families, in addition to 100 people employed in his retail business, carried on at his three shops in Venice. This extensive manufactory was, however, principally for maiolica.
Fig. 120.—Jardinière.
By Antonibon.
On the 7th April 1763, a decree was made in his favour; and he appears to have set earnestly to work in his manufacture of porcelain. His competitor, Hewelcke, shortly after deserted Venice; but he had a more formidable rival in Giminiano Cozzi, who obtained a decree for making porcelain in 1765, in which Pasqual Antonibon’s manufacture is noticed, the Senate declaring it to be the duty of the magistrate to make such arrangements as would lead to an amicable understanding between the rival manufacturers and their workmen.
Fig. 121.—Vase.
Pasqual Antonibon and his son Giovanni Battista continued the fabrication of porcelain until the 6th February 1781, when they entered into partnership with Signor Parolini. The same manufacture, con sommo onore dell’arte, was continued by them until the 6th February 1802, when it was leased to Giovanni Baroni, who produced some very charming pieces both in form and decoration; but in a few years, from being badly conducted, it began to fall off, and by degrees it went to decay and was abandoned. The “Fabbrica Baroni,” however, lingered on for more than twenty years.
Fig. 122.—Vase.
Fig. 123.—Milk-pot.
An example of the Baroni fabrique, in porcelain, with female figure handles, and painted with classical subjects, is given. (See Fig. 121.)
On 21st May 1825, the old firm of “Pasqual Antonibon and Sons” resumed the works, the actual proprietors being Gio. Batt. Antonibon and his son Francesco; they continued the manufacture of porcelain until 1835, but all their efforts to sustain it were ineffectual; they could not compete with the porcelain manufactories of France and Germany, so they were compelled to abandon the factory.
SPAIN
Madrid—Buen Retiro. This manufactory (Soft Paste), called “La China,” was founded by Charles III. in 1759, in the gardens attached to his palace, El Buen Retiro, at Madrid. It was organised by workmen whom he brought with him from Naples. The early ware produced here consequently resembles that of Capo di Monte.
Fig. 124.—Group.
The royal manufactory was taken possession of by the French, and the place converted into a fortification, which surrendered in 1812 to the Duke of Wellington. It was subsequently blown up by Lord Hill when the misconduct or perfidy of Ballasteros compelled him to evacuate Madrid.
Fig. 125.—Vase.
Height 22 in.
Fig. 126.—Vase.
With scenes from “Don Quixote.”
Height 17 in.
Ferdinand VII., on his restoration, recreated La China, at La Mancha, once a villa of the Alva family on the Manzanares; but this factory also has ceased to exist, at least as regards artistic merit.
Alcora. The Comte de Laborde, in his View of Spain, in 1808, says, “On ne fait de Porcelaine (en Espagne) qu’à Alcora et à Madrid: celle d’Alcora est très commune, on en fait très peu.” In confirmation of this assertion M. Chas. Davillier, on a visit to Spain, saw an engraving of a furnace for baking porcelain with this inscription: “Modele de four pour la porselene naturele, fait par Haly pour M. le Comte d’Aranda Alcora, 29 Juin 1756.” The works are also noticed by Don Antonio Ponz, Viaje de España, in 1793.
Fig. 127.—Plaque.
GERMANY
Dresden. The celebrated porcelain manufactory at Dresden, or rather at Meissen (in its vicinity), was established by Augustus II., Elector of Saxony, for the manufacture of true porcelain, that is, hard paste. The experiments of Tschirnhaus and Böttcher commenced about 1706, and to the latter is attributed the invention of hard paste. His first attempt was a red ware, like jasper, which was cut and polished by the lapidary, and ornamented by gilding; it was a fine stoneware, having the opacity, grain, and toughness of pottery. Later, Böttcher succeeded in discovering the mode of making true porcelain by the accidental detection of the kaolin necessary for the purpose. In consequence of this important discovery, Augustus II. established the great manufactory at Meissen, of which Böttcher was appointed Director in 1710, and about 1715 he succeeded in making a fine white porcelain. The first decorations upon this ware were very imperfect, consisting of a blue colour under the glaze, in imitation of Nankin blue porcelain. It was under Horoldt’s direction, in 1720, that paintings of a superior character, accompanied by gilding, and medallions of Chinese figures were introduced, and magnificent services completed. In 1731, Kändler, a sculptor, superintended the modelling of animals, groups, vases, &c., while other artists painted birds, insects, and copies of paintings principally of the Flemish school. The best productions emanated from the Dresden manufactory from 1731 to 1756.
Fig. 128.—Vase.
Fig. 129.—Sucrier, Cup and Saucer.
Etched by Busch.
Fig. 130.—Cup and Saucer.
Of the Marcolini period, with gros bleu ground.
Kändler modelled men and animals of the natural size, as well as peacocks, herons, pelicans, and other birds. Among the pieces produced about this time by, or under the direction of, Kändler, at Meissen was Count Bruhl’s tailor mounted upon a goat, with all the implements of his trade about him. This vain man had a great desire that his likeness should be executed in porcelain at the royal manufactory, and his request was complied with, but probably not in such a way as to gratify his vanity, for not only the tailor but his wife were thus immortalised, aere perennius, in porcelain. In 1754 Dietrich became Director, and he was succeeded in 1796 by Marcolini, whose beautiful productions are well known. Porcelain of his period is always distinguished by a star underneath crossed swords. In spite of the precautions taken at Meissen to prevent the secret becoming known—the penalty being death, or perpetual imprisonment in the Castle of Königstein—some workmen escaped to reveal it elsewhere.
Fig. 131.—Vase and Cover.
Painted with views of public buildings in Dresden.
The white Meissen porcelain was sometimes ornamented by private persons, especially by a Baron Busch, Canon of Hildesheim, who was the only person possessed of the secret of engraving with a diamond on china.
Fig. 132.—Bust of a Girl.
White porcelain.
Fig. 133.—Teapot and Saucer.
Pink ground, painted with landscapes and figures.
Berlin. This manufactory for Hard Paste was established by Wilhelm Caspar Wegeli in 1751, in the Neue Friedrichsstrasse. It was carried on for about ten years, but it never remunerated the originator, and he abandoned it in 1761, when Gottskowski, a celebrated banker, became the purchaser, and removed the works to Leipziger Strasse; assisted by his capital, they were brought to great perfection.
Fig. 134.—Group.
In plain white. Wegeli period.
Height 9 in.
Johann Ernst Gottskowski obtained the secret of porcelain from Ernst Heinrich Richard, who had been employed by Wegeli. Gottskowski did not personally manage the manufactory, but placed it under the management of the Commissioner Grunenger, which led to his employment from the year 1763 to 1786 as the head of the royal porcelain manufactory at Berlin.
In 1763, Gottskowski gave up to the king the whole of his factory of porcelain, receiving 225,000 dollars, and entering into a contract for the sale of his secrets.
Fig. 135.—Group.
Wegeli period.
Height 6¾ in.
With a view to encouraging the manufacture in his kingdom, the king made presents of superb services of Berlin china to several German princes in the year 1766. When Frederick the Great occupied Dresden, in the seven years’ war, he expatriated many of the best modellers and painters to form his royal manufactory; among these were Meyer, Klipsel, and Böhme. The king also transported great quantities of the clay and a portion of the collection. Independently of this, and the better to insure employment for the five hundred persons engaged in the processes, he restricted the Jews resident in any part of his dominions from entering into the marriage state, until each man had obtained a certificate from himself, which was only granted on the production of a voucher from the Director of the manufactory that porcelain to a given amount had been purchased, and that there was reasonable cause for granting the indulgence. Of course the Jews more readily disposed of their purchases than the general dealers, and the device was attended with favourable results. To insure the success of the establishment and extend its operations, Frederick embraced every opportunity that was presented; and it was so well supported that in 1776 seven hundred men were constantly employed, and it is said that three thousand pieces of porcelain were made daily.
Fig. 136.—Milk-pot, Cup and Saucer.
In 1769 an order was published permitting a lottery company to purchase annually to the amount of 90,000 dollars.
About 1872, the Berlin Royal Porcelain Manufactory was working seven kilns, and employing three hundred workmen; the annual produce amounted on an average to half a million finished articles, value 150,000 Prussian dollars. The superintendence was entrusted to Herr Kolbe (who succeeded Herr Frick in the direction), under whom were Dr. Eisner as chemist, Herr Mantel as master modeller, and Herr Looschen as head painter.
Fig. 137.—Lamp-stand.
Höchst, a town situated on the Main, and now in Nassau, belonged to the Electors of Mainz. A manufactory was founded in 1746 by J. C. Göltz and J. F. Clarus, two merchants of Frankfort, assisted by A. von Löwenfinck, but they were unsuccessful, and called in Ringler, of Vienna, who had escaped from the manufactory. During the Electorate of Johann Friedrich Karl, Archbishop of Mainz, their porcelain ranked among the first in Europe. About 1760 the celebrated modeller Melchior was engaged, and some very elegant statuettes and designs for vases, &c., were produced. Melchior left the manufactory about 1785, and his successor, Ries, was not so skilful, and all his figures having disproportionate heads, the so-called “thick-head” period commenced. Christian Gottlieb Kuntze was another celebrated worker in this fabrique. On the invasion of the French under General Custine in 1794, all the materials were sold by auction.
Fig. 138.—Tray and Sucrier.
Frankenthal, in Bavaria. Established in 1754, by Paul Hannong, who, having discovered the secret of hard porcelain, offered it to the royal manufactory at Sèvres, but the authorities not agreeing as to the price, the offer was declined, and they commenced persecuting him—for in that year a decree forbade the making of translucent ware in France except at Sèvres—and Hannong was compelled to go to Frankenthal, leaving his fayence manufactory at Strassburg in charge of his sons. In 1761 the factory was purchased by the Elector Carl Theodore, and it attained great celebrity, which it maintained until he became Elector of Bavaria, in 1777. It then declined, and all the stock and utensils were sold in 1800 and removed to Greinstadt. The following chronogram denotes the year 1775:—
VarIantIbVs · fLosCVLIs · DIVersI · CoLores ·
fabrICæ · sVb · reVIVIsCentIs · soLIs · hVIVs ·
raDIIs · eXVLtantIs ·
In·frankenthaL· ✴
It occurs on a porcelain plate, Fig. 139, having in the centre the initials of Carl Theodore, interlaced and crowned, within a gold star of flaming rays; radiating from this are thirty divisions, and on the border thirty more, all numbered and painted with small bouquets, en camaïeu, of all the various shades of colour employed in the manufactory.
Fig. 139.—Plate.
Fig. 140.—A Déjeuner Service.
Neudeck, on the Au, and Nymphenburg. This factory was established in 1747, by a potter named Niedermayer. Graf von Hainshausen became its patron in 1754, and in 1756 he sent for Ringler, who organised the establishment, and it was then placed under the protection of the Elector Maximilian Joseph. On the death of his successor, Carl Theodore, in 1799, the Frankenthal manufactory was abandoned, and transferred to Nymphenburg, which is still a royal establishment, and well supported. The pieces are manufactured in white at Nymphenburg, but chiefly decorated at Munich and elsewhere; that is the reason why on the same piece the Nymphenburg mark is frequently found impressed, with the mark of some other factory painted in colour.
Fig. 141.—Tankard.
Fig. 141, moulded in relief and painted with flowers; marks, the coat of Bavaria, 1765 in gold, two leaves and I. A. H. in green; height 7¼ in.
Fig. 142, painted in colours; marks, the coat of arms of Bavaria, and A incised; diameter 3¼ in. and 5¼ in.
Fig. 142.—Cup and Saucer.
Fig. 143.—Cup and Saucer.
Anspach, a town which belonged to the Margraves of Anspach and is now in Bavaria. There was a factory here about 1760.
Fig. 143 is painted with figures in colour; signed “Schelk, pinx.”; mark A in blue; diameter 3 ins. and 5¼ in.
Bayreuth was under the same rulers as Anspach, and is now also in Bavaria. There was a manufactory here in the 18th century, but little appears to be known respecting it.
Fig. 144.—Cup.
Fig. 144 is painted in colours, and gilt inside; mark, “Metzsch 1748 Bayr”; diameter 2¾ in.
Kelsterbach, in Hesse. A manufactory for pottery was founded here about 1758, where later porcelain was also made. The works only lasted about sixteen years.
Fig. 145.—Harlequin.
Fig. 145 is painted in colours; mark, H. D. under a crown, in blue; height 6¾ in.
Thuringia. In the middle of the 18th century a number of small porcelain factories sprang up in this district. It is said that they owe their origin to a chemist named Macheleid, who discovered by accident a deposit of kaolin, and obtained permission from the Prince of Schwarzburg to establish a factory at Sitzenroda, which in 1762 was removed to Volkstedt.
Fig. 146.—Cup and Saucer.
Diam. 2¾ in. and 5¾ in.
Closter, or Kloster, Veilsdorf, or Volkstedt. The porcelain manufactory of Sitzenroda was transferred to Volkstedt, in Thuringia, in 1762, where it was farmed by a merchant named Nonne, of Erfurt, who greatly enlarged and improved the works. About the year 1770 it was carried on by Greiner. In 1795 more than 120 workmen were employed.
Fig. 147.—Teapot.
Fig. 148.—Tray.
Fig. 148 is moulded in rococo style, and painted with flowers; mark, shield of Saxe-Meiningen between C. V.; length 12½ in.
Rudolstadt. The factory at Volkstedt was afterwards removed to Rudolstadt, near Jena. Gotthelf Greiner had the direction of several of the other Thuringian manufactories; he died in 1797.
Fig. 149.—Milk-pot and Cup and Saucer.
Fulda, in Hesse. A factory was established here about 1763 by Arnandus, Prince-Bishop of Fulda, for the manufacture of porcelain. The best artists were employed, and many grand vases, figures, and services of a fine white paste and handsomely decorated were produced.
Fig. 150.—A Peasant.
Fig. 151.—A Peasant.
Fig. 152.—Cup and Saucer.
Fig. 153.—Coffee-pot.
Fürstenberg. In Brunswick, established in 1750, by the help of Bengraf, who came from Höchst; he died the same year, and Baron von Lang, a distinguished chemist, undertook the direction of the works, under the patronage of Carl, Duke of Brunswick. The manufactory was carried on by the Government up to the middle of last century.
Fig. 154, a bust of Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick, grand-daughter of King George II., is in white biscuit; mark, F in blue, a running horse, and W; height 20½ in.
Fig. 154.—Bust.
Fig. 155—Medallions.
In white biscuit.
Fig. 155. Portraits of O. D. Beckmann and A. L. Schlötzer; marked with a running horse and F; length 2⅞ in.
Ludwigsburg, in Würtemberg. Established by J. J. Ringler in 1758, under the patronage of Carl Eugene, the reigning duke. It was celebrated for the excellence of its productions and the fine paintings on its vases and services, as well as for its excellent groups. This factory ceased in 1824.
Fig. 156.—Chocolate-pot.
Fig. 156 is painted with figures of Hope and Music in panels; mark, double C under a crown, in blue; height 5¼ in.
Fig. 157.—Coffee-pot.
Fig. 157 is painted in lake camaïeu, with a landscape and buildings after Claude, and has a gilt, arabesque and scroll border.
Regensburg, or Ratisbon. This factory was established about 1760.
Fig. 158.—Cup and Saucer.
Grossbreitenbach. A factory was established here about 1770 by Greiner. The demand for his porcelain was so great, that not being able to enlarge his works at Limbach, he started this as well as Veilsdorf and Volkstedt.
Fig. 159.—Milk-pot.
Fig. 159 is grey blue ware in imitation of Wedgwood, with classical group in white relief, bearing a wreath with the cypher F. G. C. under a crown; marks, “Breitenbach et Limbach,” and “Gruber”; height 4 in.
LIMBACH
Fig. 160.—Sucrier, Cover, and Stand.
Limbach, Saxe-Meiningen. This manufactory was also under the direction of Gotthelf Greiner. It was established about 1762.
Fig. 160 is painted with flowers; mark, two letters L crossed; diameters 4⅞ and 8¼ in.
Gera. A manufactory was founded here about 1780.
Fig. 161.—Sugar Basin.
Fig. 161 is painted with festoons of pink flowers; mark, G in blue; height 6¼ in.
Fig. 162.—Cup, Cover, and Saucer.
Fig. 162 is grained in imitation of oak, with medallions painted with views, “Schloss aus dem Kohlenhofe” on cup, and “Lauchstaedt vor dem Brunnen” on saucer; signed, “Rühlig Fec”; mark, G in blue; diameters 3 and 5¼ in.
Baden-Baden. A porcelain manufactory was established in 1753 by the widow Sperl and workmen from Höchst, with the patronage of the reigning Margrave, under Pfälzer. It ceased in 1778.
GOTHA
Fig. 163.—Figure of Bacchus.
In white biscuit.
Height 11 in.
Gotha. Founded in 1780 by Rothenberg, and afterwards (1802) conducted by Henneberg.
Rauenstein, in Saxe-Meiningen. A factory for hard paste was established here in 1760.
Fig. 164.—Cup and Saucer.
Fig. 164 is painted with flowers; mark, R—n; diameters 3 and 5 in.
Wallendorf, in Saxe-Coburg. There was also a factory for hard paste established by Greiner and Haman here in 1762.
Fig. 165 is painted in dark blue, and with leaves in relief; mark, W, in blue; height 10 in.
Fig. 165.—Vase.
AUSTRIA
VIENNA
This manufactory for hard paste was founded about 1717. There are several traditions as to its origin: one is that a musician named La France, and a billiard-marker, named Dupuis, brought with them to Vienna, in October 1717, a certain Cristofle Conrad Hünger, who had been employed at Meissen as an enamel painter and gilder, and that in the following year they were joined by a man named Stölzel of Meissen, who was possessed of the secret, and became director. Another that it was a private enterprise set on foot by Claude du Pasquier, who obtained from the Emperor Charles VII. a privilege for twenty-five years. Major Byng Hall (Adventures of a Bric-à-Brac Hunter), however, says that it was established in 1718 by Claude Innocenz de Blaquier, who engaged one Stenzel or Stölzel to co-operate with him. With this object in view De Blaquier proceeded secretly to Meissen, where he contrived to scrape acquaintance with the arcanist in a coffee-house. He engaged with Stenzel in a game of billiards, taking care to lose, and thus he secured his object. Stenzel after some slight hesitation, accepted an offer of a thousand dollars to be paid yearly.
Fig. 166.—Cabaret.
De Blaquier had to contend with many difficulties owing to his not being possessed of the secret, and at the end of the second year Stenzel not having been paid regularly according to his contract, returned to Meissen, after having maliciously destroyed many of the models. The works had consequently to be suspended. But De Blaquier, being a man of energy and determination, endeavoured by numerous experiments to discover the porcelain mixture, and his efforts were finally crowned with success.
Fig. 167.—Milk-pot.
After twenty-five years’ labour De Blaquier decided in 1744 to offer the works to the Government.
The young Empress Maria Theresa resolved to support the factory, which promised to give occupation and profit to her subjects, honour and gain to the State. She therefore commanded that it should be taken by State contract from its owner, and that De Blaquier should receive the direction with a salary of 1500 florins a year.
Fig. 168.—Plate.
From 1747 to 1790 was the best period for figures and groups, while from 1780 to 1820 painting on china became celebrated, the subjects being taken from paintings by Watteau, Lancret, Boucher, Angelica Kauffmann, and others.
In 1785 the most important improvements were made under the Baron de Lorgenthal or Sorgenthal; artists of the highest talents were employed, a first-rate chemist named Leithner was engaged to prepare the colours and gilding, the chefs d’œuvre of the early masters were copied, while the gilding was brought to a perfection which has never been surpassed.
Fig. 169.—Cup and “Trembleuse” Saucer.
18th Century.
After the death of the Baron in 1805, Neidermayer became Director. The manufacture continued in its flourishing condition until about 1815. From the year 1784 to the date of its extinction, it was the custom to mark every piece with the number of the year, which circumstance may be of great service to the connoisseur who seeks early specimens of Vienna porcelain. It is stamped without colour underneath the piece—or rather indented, the first numeral being omitted; thus the number 792 stands for 1792; 802 for 1802; and so on.
From 1827, under the direction of Scholtz, who followed Niedermayer, the manufactory began to decline, and what with economy, indifferent workmen, and bad artists copying from French models its doom was sealed. It gradually dwindled down to a second-rate factory, and in consequence of the great annual expense it was discontinued in 1864. The books on art belonging to the factory, and all the drawings of its most successful period, together with many of the models, the library, and the keramic collection, were given to the Imperial Museum in Vienna, to be retained as a lasting memorial of its celebrity.
Fig. 166 is painted in camaïeu on purple ground, and gilt; mark, shield crowned; length of tray 12 in.
Fig. 167 is painted in colours and gilt, with busts of ladies, entitled “L’Hérisson” and “Fantaisie Moderne”; mark, the shield in blue; height 6 in.
Fig. 168 is painted in colours, with two nymphs in a landscape playing with the infant Bacchus; mark, the Austrian shield of arms, in blue; the painting attributed to Fürstler.
Schlaggenwald, in Bohemia. This manufactory was established in the year 1810. George Lippert was the owner in 1842, and much improved the industry. Some pieces are marked “Lippert & Haas.”
Fig. 170.—Cup and Saucer.
Fig. 170 is painted in colours, with medallions containing figures of Justice; mark, S; diam. 2½ and 5 in.
Herend, in Hungary. There was a manufactory of porcelain here towards the end of the 18th century, but particulars concerning its origin are not known.
Fig. 171 is painted in oriental style, with flowers, &c.; late 18th century.
Fig. 171.—Portion of a Cabaret or Breakfast Service.
SWITZERLAND
Nyon, on the lake of Geneva. A manufactory was in full work here towards the end of the 18th century. It is said to have been established by a French flower painter named Maubrée, and several Genevese artists painted on the porcelain, occasionally marking it with a “G” or “Geneva” in full; but there never was a manufactory of china at Geneva itself.
Fig. 172.—Cup and Saucer.
Zürich. Established here in 1763 by a few Zürich gentlemen, with the aid of a workman, named Spengler, from Höchst. Another German, Sonnenschein, a sculptor, was employed to model figures and groups. The factory was not a financial success. In 1793 the works were sold to a potter named Nehracher, and on his death in 1800 the works ceased.
NYON
Fig. 173.—Cup and Saucer.
With mark, fish in blue.
Fig. 174 represents a soldier trampling on a Turk and unveiling a lady, martial and love trophies on the ground.
Fig. 174.—A Group.
HOLLAND
Weesp. The first manufactory for porcelain in Holland was at Weesp, near Amsterdam. It was established in 1764 by the Count Cronsfeldt-Diepenbroick, who had by some means obtained the secret of the composition of hard paste. After existing seven years, the factory was closed in 1771. Notwithstanding the unsuccessful result from a commercial point of view, it was reopened by a Protestant minister, the Rev. De Moll, of Oude Loosdrecht, associated with some capitalists of Amsterdam, but the next year it was removed to Loosdrecht. The decorations are very much of the Saxon character.
Fig. 175.—Ewer.
With mark, W.
Fig. 176.—Coffee-pot.
Mark, a cross and dots.
Oude Loosdrecht, situated between Utrecht and Amsterdam, was the next town where porcelain was successfully made. It sprang from the ashes of Weesp, and in 1772 became a company, with the Rev. De Moll at its head; after his death, in 1782, the concern passed into the hands of his partners, J. Rendorp, A. Dedel, C. Van der Hoop, Gysbz, and J. Hope, and was by them removed, in 1784, to Oude Amstel. The ware is of fine quality, decorated in the Saxon style; specimens are frequently met with, having gilt borders and a light blue flower between green leaves.
Fig. 177.—Vase.
Fig. 178.—Panel.
Mark, M : o L. in blue.
Width 12¾ in.
Amsterdam. Fig. 179. Painted in lake camaïeu with birds and trees; the mark, lion, in blue.
Fig. 179.—A Pair of Bottles.
Oude Amstel. On the death of the Rev. De Moll in the year 1782, the manufactory of Loosdrecht was removed to Oude Amstel (Old Amstel), near Amsterdam, and carried on with redoubled zeal by the same company, directed by a German named Däuber, about 1784. It flourished under his direction for a few years, and produced a fine description of porcelain, but it gradually declined, in consequence of the large importations from England which inundated the country. In 1789 it came into the hands of J. Rendorp, C. Van der Hoop, and Gysbz, still remaining under Däuber’s direction, but it was entirely demolished at the close of the 18th century.
Fig. 180.—Teapot and Sucrier.
Fig. 181.—Sucrier.
The Hague. About the year 1775, a porcelain manufactory for both hard and soft paste was opened at The Hague, under the direction of a German named Leichner or Lynker. The works ceased in 1785 or 1786.
Fig. 182.—Plate.
Of soft paste.
Fig. 182 bears the mark of a stork in blue; diam. 9½ in.
BELGIUM AND LUXEMBURG
BELGIUM
Tournai. Established in 1750 by Peterinck. For some time previous to 1815 the works were carried on by M. Maximilien de Bettignies, who, in consequence of the annexation of Tournai to Belgium, ceded it in that year to his brother Henri, and established another factory at St. Amand-les-Eaux. Soft paste, which has been discontinued for many years in every other fabrique in France, is still made at both places, and they consequently produce the closest imitations of old Sèvres pâte tendre.
Fig. 183.—Cup and Saucer.
With the early mark in gold.
Fig. 184 is painted in blue; mark, crossed swords and three crosses; diam. 9½ in.
Fig. 184.—Plate.
Fig. 185.—Salt-cellar.
Fig. 185 is painted with birds; mark, crossed swords and four crosses, in gold; height 4⅜ in.
Brussels. There was a manufactory of hard paste porcelain here towards the end of the 18th century.
Fig. 186.—Milk Jug.
Signed L. Cretté.
Fig. 187.—Teapot.
LUXEMBURG
A factory for hard paste porcelain was established at Sept Fontaines about 1806, by the brothers Boch. Both pottery and porcelain were made here, including plates, vases, figures, &c.
LUXEMBURG
Fig. 188.—Two Figures of “The Seasons.”
With mark, B. L.
RUSSIA
At St. Petersburg, an Imperial china manufactory was established in 1744, by the Empress Elizabeth Petrowna, with workmen from Meissen. Catherine II. patronised the works, and in 1765 enlarged them considerably, under the direction of the minister, J. A. Olsoufieff, since which this fabrique has held a distinguished place among European manufactories. The paste is hard and of a blueish cast, finely glazed, and it betrays its Dresden origin.
Fig. 189.—Cup and Saucer.
With the mark of the Emperor Paul.
Fig. 190.—Verrière.
Moscow, 1720. The potter Eggebrecht, who had undertaken a manufactory of delft at Dresden, by direction of Böttcher, had, after that was discontinued, left to go to Moscow, and, being acquainted with some of the processes for making porcelain, commenced manufacturing it at Moscow.
Fig. 191.—Statuette.
Mark, G in blue.
Height 8 in.
Fig. 192.—Cup and Saucer.
With view of Moscow. Mark, A. Popoffe’s initials.
A porcelain manufactory was established at Twer, by an Englishman named Gardner, in 1787, and another by A. Popoff.
Korzec, in Volhynia. About 1803, Mérault, a chemist of the Sèvres manufactory, went to direct the fabrique at Korzec, taking with him a laboratory assistant named Pétion. After carrying it on for a few years, Mérault abandoned the direction, and returned to France.
Fig. 193.—Pâte dure Cup and Saucer.
Painted with a portrait of a lady, en grisaille, with gilt borders.
Mark, Eye within a triangle.
Baranowka, in Volhynia. A small factory existed here at which the porcelain clay found in the neighbourhood was used.
Fig. 194.—Milk Jug.
Mark, the name of the town.
SWEDEN
Marieberg. This manufactory produced porcelain (soft paste), as well as fayence. In quality as well as in decoration the porcelain is like that of Mennecy-Villeroy in France. The industry was established by Ehrenreich, under the patronage of Count Scheffer, Councillor of State, in 1750, and altogether ceased about 1780.
Fig. 195.—Custard Cup and Cover.
Mark, M.B. combined.
Height 3¼ in.
DENMARK
Copenhagen. This manufactory was commenced by an apothecary of the name of Müller, in 1772, and Baron von Lang, from the Fürstenberg manufactory, is said to have been instrumental in forming it. The capital was raised in shares, but the factory not being successful, the Government interfered, and it became a royal establishment in 1775, and has remained so ever since.
Fig. 196.—Cabaret.
With portraits of Raphael, and other celebrated painters.
Fig. 197.—Cabaret.
FRANCE
St. Cloud. A factory was established here about 1695 for the production of porcelain, at which time M. Morin was proprietor, and M. Chicanneau director of the works.
Fig. 198.—Jug.
According to letters patent of 1702, granted to the heirs of Chicanneau, his widow, Barbe Courdray, and her children, were interested in the works; their father had made many experiments and attempts to discover the secret of true porcelain, and from the year 1696 had produced some nearly equal to the porcelain of China. His children, to whom he imparted the secret, successfully continued the fabrication, and were permitted to manufacture porcelain at St. Cloud, or in any other part or parts of the kingdom, except Rouen and its faubourgs. In 1712 a renewal of the patent took place for ten years, and in the meantime the widow Barbe Courdray married a M. Trou.
Fig. 199.—Statuette.
Astronomy seated, holding the sun.
In 1722 letters patent were granted for twenty years more to Jean and Jean Baptiste Chicanneau, Marie Moreau, the widow of Pierre Chicanneau (third son) and Henri and Gabriel Trou, children of Barbe Courdray by her second marriage. About this time serious disagreements occurred between the two families, and they separated, Gabriel and Henri Trou remaining at St. Cloud, patronised by the Duke of Orleans; while Marie Moreau opened another establishment in the Rue de la Ville l’Évêque, Faubourg St. Honoré, directed by Dominique François Chicanneau. In 1742 another arrêt granted privileges for twenty years to both these establishments, and Marie Moreau dying in 1743 left Dominique her business.
The manufactory at St. Cloud was destroyed by fire (the act of an incendiary) in 1773, and the manufacture ceased, the proprietors not being able to raise sufficient funds to rebuild it.
Chantilly. This manufactory was founded in 1725 by Ciquaire Cirou, under the patronage of the Prince de Condé, as appears by letters patent dated 1735, who was succeeded by Antheaume and others. The porcelain was highly esteemed, and there was hardly any object which they did not produce, from the lofty vase to the simplest knife handle. The Chantilly pattern was a great favourite for ordinary services; it was called “Barbeau,” and consisted of a small blue flower running over the white paste.
Fig. 200.—Dish.
Mark, hunting horn and P, in gold.
Diameter 12 in.
Fig. 201.—Pair of Figures.
Rouen. Louis Poterat, Sieur de St. Ètienne, of St. Sever, at Rouen, obtained letters patent in 1673, stating that he had discovered processes for fabricating porcelain similar to that of China, and wares resembling those of Delft; but the former was of a very rude character and never arrived at any perfection.
After the establishment at St. Cloud had commenced selling porcelain, the proprietors of the Rouen manufactory appear to have revived their porcelain in the hopes of competing with them, but with no good result.
Mennecy-Villeroy. This important manufactory was established in 1735 by François Barbin, under the patronage of the Duc de Villeroy. The early specimens are similar to the porcelaine tendre of St. Cloud, of a milky translucent appearance.
Fig. 202.—Sugar Basin and Stand.
Barbin was succeeded about 1748 by Messieurs Jacques and Jullien, and the manufactory continued in a flourishing state until 1773, when on the expiration of the lease it was removed to Bourg-la-Reine.
Fig. 203.—Group of Children.
Sceaux Penthièvre, near Paris. Established in 1750 by Jacques Chapelle; it was situated opposite the Petit Châtelet, and was under the patronage of the Duc de Penthièvre. It was carried on by Glot in 1773. The Prince-Protector died in 1794, but the production of pâte tendre ceased before that time.
Fig. 204.—Cup and Saucer.
Fig. 205.—Milk-pot.
Mark, S. X.
Arras. Established in 1782 by the Demoiselles Deleneur, under the patronage of M. de Calonne, Intendant de Flandre et de l’Artois; it only lasted a few years.
Fig. 206.—Seau.
Mark, A. R.
Boulogne-sur-mer. Established by M. Haffringue, in the 19th century, with the kaolin of Limoges.
Fig. 207.—Plaque.
White biscuit.
Fig. 208.—Sucrier.
White biscuit.
Étiolles (Seine-et-Oise), near Corbeil. Established in 1768, by Monnier, for soft paste porcelain. The works lasted only a short time.
Fig. 209.—Cup and Saucer.
Mark, E. Pellevé, 1770.
Diameter 2½ and 5 in.
Lille. Established in 1711 by Barthélemy Dorez and Pierre Pelissier, his nephew, natives of Lille. The porcelain (pâte tendre) of this time was like that of St. Cloud, but in the Delft style, the favourite ornamentation being Chinese designs. At a later period (in 1784) a manufactory of hard porcelain was established by Leperre Durot, under the patronage of the Dauphin; it was styled “Manufacture Royale de Monseigneur le Dauphin.” The porcelain of Leperre Durot is richly adorned with gold and with carefully painted bouquets of flowers.
Fig. 210.—Cup and Saucer.
With mark, crowned Dolphin.
M. Roger succeeded Leperre Durot, and in 1792 he sold his interest in the works to Messieurs Regnault and Graindorge; they were, however, soon ruined, and the establishment was closed.
Bourg-la-Reine. Started in 1773 by Messieurs Jacques and Jullien, who removed thither on the expiration of their lease at Mennecy. It was in active existence, making china purely of an industrial character, in 1788.
Fig. 211.—Custard Cup.
Mark, B. R.
Height 3¼ in.
Clignancourt. Established in 1775 by Pierre Deruelle, under the patronage of Monsieur le Comte de Provence, brother of the king (afterwards Louis XVIII.).
Fig. 212.—Milk-pot and Cover.
Fig. 213.—Cup and Dish. Fig. 214.—Milk Jug.
Lunéville. A factory called “Manufacture Stanislas” was established in 1731. It lasted only a short time, but a later manufactory, founded about 1769, was celebrated for its productions.
Paul Louis Cyfflé, sculptor, obtained, in 1768, letters patent for fifteen years, by virtue of which he established another manufactory for superior vessels of the material called terre de Lorraine, and in the following year a new privilege was granted for making groups and statuettes with his improved paste, under the name of pâte de marbre.
Orleans. Established by M. Gerréault in 1753, under the protection of the Duc de Penthièvre; the porcelain first made here was of the soft paste, but hard paste was subsequently produced. Gerréault was succeeded by Bourdon fils about 1788, Piédor, Dubois, and lastly, Le Brun, from 1808 to 1811.
Niderviller. Established about 1760 by Baron de Beyerlé. After successfully carrying on this branch for several years, he attempted hard porcelain in 1768, and procured potters and artists from Saxony. Three or four years before his death, which happened in 1784, the estate was bought by General de Custine. This new proprietor continued the fabrique, under the direction of M. Lanfray, who paid especial attention to the production of fine porcelain; the fabrication of statuettes was greatly increased.
ORLEANS
Fig. 215.—Bowl, Cover, and Stand.
Mark, heraldic label in blue.
Fig. 216.—Milk-pot and Cover.
Mark, double C under coronet, in blue.
Height 6½ in.
After the decapitation of the unfortunate de Custine, his estates, being forfeited to the Republic, were sold on the 25 Germinal, An X (1802), to M. Lanfray, and carried on by him until his death in 1827, when the manufactory was sold to L. G. Dryander, of Saarbrücken. For many years he continued to make porcelain, as well as fayence groups and statuettes, but the distance of his fabrique from the kaolin of St. Yrieix prevented him from competing successfully with those of Limoges, and this branch was abandoned.
Boissette, near Melun. A factory was established in 1777 by Jacques Vermonet père et fils, but it lasted only a short time.
Fig. 217.—Teapot.
Caen, Normandy. Established and supported by some of the principal inhabitants, at the time of the French Revolution (about 1793), when several workmen from Sèvres came to join it. It was carried on for a few years, but no market being found for the ware, the factory was discontinued at the commencement of the last century. It is hard paste, and equal to that of Sèvres, and of the same forms.
Fig. 218.—Cup and Saucer.
With “Caen” stencilled in red.
Valenciennes (Nord). By an Order of Council, dated 24th May 1785, M. Fauquet was permitted to carry on a manufacture of porcelain at Valenciennes. He was originally established at St. Amand in the manufacture of fayence as early as 1775, and probably carried on both works simultaneously.
Fig. 219.—Cup and Saucer.
Mark, F. L. V., in cipher, in blue.
Diam. 3¾ and 6¼ in.
St. Amand-les-eaux. Founded by M. Maximilien de Bettignies in 1815, for the manufacture of pâte tendre porcelain like the old Sèvres. He was formerly proprietor of the Tournai manufactory, which he ceded to his brother Henri when that city became re-annexed to Belgium.
Strassburg. About the year 1752, Paul Hannong obtained the secret of true porcelain from Ringler, and started a factory here, but in consequence of the monopoly of Sèvres he was compelled to relinquish it, and in 1753 removed to Frankenthal, where he greatly flourished under the protection of the Elector Palatine Carl Theodore.
Fig. 220.—Cup and Saucer.
Mark, J. H.
Diam. 2⅝ and 5⅝ in.
Marseilles. An important manufactory of porcelain was established here by Jacques Gaspard Robert about 1766. Porcelain was made also by Honoré Savy and Veuve Perrin, but was only of secondary importance. The works were closed about the period of the French Revolution in 1793.
Paris. Rue Thiroux. Established in 1778 by André Marie Lebeuf, and the ware was called “Porcelaine de la Reine.”
Fig. 221.—Sucrier.
Mark, crowned A.
Paris. Rue de Bondy. Opened in 1780 by Dihl and Guerhard, under the patronage of the Duc d’Angoulême, and the ware was called “Porcelaine d’Angoulême.”
Fig. 222.—Ewer and Basin.
Paris. Rue Fontaine au Roi. This factory, called “De la Courtille,” was established in 1773 by Jean Baptiste Locré, who was afterwards joined by Russinger in 1784. The latter during the Revolution became sole director.
Fig. 223.—Part of a Tea Service.
Paris. Faubourg St. Honoré. A factory was established here by Veuve Chicanneau, née Marie Moreau. The teapot, Fig. 224, was probably made at these works.
Fig. 224.—Teapot.
Mark, Ve M. & C.
Paris. Pont-aux-Choux. In 1784, Louis Honoré de la Marre de Villars opened an establishment for the manufacture of porcelain in the Rue des Boulets, Faubourg St. Antoine. It was afterwards disposed of to Jean Baptiste Outrequin de Montarcy and Edmé Toulouse, who in 1786 obtained a brêvet from the Duke of Orleans, Louis Philippe Joseph, and authority to sign the productions with the letters L. P., and to take the title of Manufacture de M. le Duc d’Orléans. They were afterwards established in Rue Amelot, au Pont-aux-Choux, by which name the porcelain is generally known.
Fig. 225.—Teapot.
The former name ceased in 1793, with the condemnation of the Duke of Orleans, and the objects subsequently produced were inscribed merely “Fabrique du Pont-aux-Choux.”
Paris. Rue de Crussol. Established in 1789 by Charles Potter, an Englishman, and the ware was called the “Prince of Wales’s China.”
Fig. 226.—Cup.
Paris. Belleville. Originally established in 1790 by Jacob Petit; but later removed to Fontainebleau. The products of the first period were much esteemed, being well painted and well modelled, bearing Petit’s mark; but the proprietor unwisely altered his original plan and imitated Dresden, counterfeiting also the mark of the crossed swords. Jacob Petit also made biscuit figures, birds’ nests, flowers, &c.
Fig. 227.—Watch-stand.
Plain white of rococo form.
Mark, J. P. in blue. Height 5 in.
Paris. Rue du Faubourg St. Denis. Fabrique de Charles Philippe Comte d’Artois, afterwards Charles X. This manufacture was the most ancient of all those established in Paris. Hannong of Strassburg, who brought into France the secret of hard porcelain, formed the first establishment in 1769. Having obtained the protection of Charles Philippe, Comte d’Artois, it was called by his name. The factory belonged actually to Bourdon des Planches, who continued the manufacture of hard porcelain, &c., but the works were closed in 1810.
Vincennes. There was a porcelain manufactory here in 1786, quite apart from the royal factory. It was directed by M. Le Maire, probably the same who founded that in Rue Popincourt, which was ceded to M. Nast in 1783. There were four establishments at Vincennes; the first by the brothers Dubois, subsequently transferred to Sèvres; the second by Maurin des Aubiez, in 1767; the third by Pierre Antoine Hannong; and the fourth that described above.
Fig. 228.—Cup and Saucer.
Mark, H. L. L., in gold .
Diam. 2½ and 5 in.
VINCENNES AND SÈVRES
The history of the celebrated manufactory at Sèvres must be traced back to that of St. Cloud, which was founded as early as 1695. Here Louis XIV. accorded his patronage and favour by granting exclusive privileges. In 1735 the secret of the manufacture was carried, by some of the workmen, to Chantilly, and for a time continued there by the brothers Dubois. They left in a few years, taking with them their secret, and settled at Vincennes, where a laboratory was granted them, but after three years they were dismissed.
In 1745, a sculptor, named Charles Adam, formed a company, and the scheme was approved of by the king, privileges being accorded them for thirty years, and a place granted for their works in the Château de Vincennes. In 1753 the privileges of Charles Adam were purchased by Eloy Brichard, and Louis XV. took a third share; hence the factory became a royal establishment. Madame de Pompadour considerably encouraged the ceramic art, and it arrived at the height of perfection. The buildings were found too small to meet the increasing demands for the beautiful productions, and in 1756 the works were removed to a large edifice at SÈVRES built expressly for the company.
A favourite decoration of Vincennes porcelain was flowers and birds, on a beautiful bleu de roi ground, and cupids painted in camaïeu of a single colour.
Fig. 229.—Vase.
Bleu de roi ground, with panels with birds in gold.
Mark, double L enclosing a dot, in gold.
Height 9¼ in.
In 1760 the king became sole proprietor, and M. Boileau was appointed director.
In 1769, after Macquer had brought the making of hard paste to perfection, the manufacture was successfully established at Sèvres, and both descriptions of china continued to be made until 1804, when, Brongniart being director, soft paste was altogether discontinued, and declared to be “useless in art, of expensive manipulation, dangerous to the workmen, subject to great risk in the furnace, &c.”
Fig. 230.—Cup and Saucer.
Bleu de roi ground, with white medallions enclosing birds in gold.
Mark, double L, in blue.
Diam. 2⅝ and 5⅜ in.
The principal colours used in decorating the ground of the Sèvres vases were:—
1. The bleu céleste, or turquoise, invented in 1752 by Hellot.
2. The rich cobalt blue, called bleu de roi, of which there were two varieties, the darker being designated gros bleu.
3. The violet pensée, a beautiful violet from a mixture of manganese, one of the rarest decorations of the pâte tendre.
Fig. 231.—Vase.
4. The rose Pompadour (called in England rose Du-Barry), a charming pink or rose colour invented in 1757 by Xhrouet of Sèvres.
5. The clear yellow or jonquille, a sort of canary colour.
6. The vert pré, or bright grass green.
Fig. 232.—Écuelle.
Dated 1771.
7. The vert pomme, or apple green.
8. The rouge de fer, a brilliant red.
9. The œil de perdrix was at a later period a favourite ornament for the grounds of vases.
Fig. 233.—Biscuit Group. Cupid and Psyche.
The forms are exceedingly varied, but names are assigned to each, either from the designers of the models or their special shapes or ornamentation; these may be found at length in Marks and Monograms on Pottery and Porcelain, 10th edition.
The beautiful pâte tendre ware of Sèvres was always much esteemed, and never could have been produced at a reasonable price even at the time it was made, the expense of decoration as well as the risk in firing being so great. It was manufactured for royal presents or occasionally sold by express permission at exorbitant prices, which bore a more approximate value to the present exorbitant prices than is generally supposed.