Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876

by Charles Wyllys Elliott

Laughlin Brothers, of Ohio, had a good show of the same kind of wares, and they had also a decorated dinner-set which was good. They had more than this, in that they promised us something. They are using feldspars, kaolins, clays, silexes, from various parts of the United States, and believe we have the best and the greatest variety to be found in any country; but besides these a new clay or mineral, as they think, has been found in Missouri, which promises to be of infinite value. It is cheap, is easily ground and mixed, and imparts to the body a creamy softness and a beauty which add much to the production. That this is true was shown in some of the cups made with it. Moreover, as Mr. Laughlin states, several of the best porcelain-makers of Europe are seriously contemplating the propriety of establishing themselves on this shore of the sea, and putting to use these kaolinic treasures. And why not? With cheap clays, cheap fuels, cheap foods, may we not begin to supply ourselves, if not some of the rest of the world, with the finest productions of the potter’s wheel? And it would seem a good thing for us to do.

APPENDIX.
BOOKS UPON POTTERY AND PORCELAIN.

The following synopsis of works on “pottery and porcelain,” for which we are indebted to Mr. G. W. Wales, will be found useful and interesting:

General Historical Treatises.—Jacquemart, “History of the Ceramic Art”—a descriptive philosophical study of the pottery of all ages and nations, profusely illustrated in aquatint and woodcut, and containing one thousand marks and monograms; Semper, “Der Stil in den Künsten,” in the second volume treats of ceramics, and is a well-illustrated, comprehensive, and useful hand-book; Mareschal, “La Faïence Populaire au 18^me Siècle,” has one hundred and twelve colored plates, mostly of French and Delft porcelain; Maze, “Recherches sur la Céramique” is illustrated by photographs, and has a list of marks and monograms; Burty, “Chefs-d’Œuvre des Arts Industriels,” gives a popular account of ceramics, well illustrated (there is a translation by Chaffers); Stallknecht’s papers on “Artistic Pottery and Porcelain” give also an account of the articles in the Vienna Exposition of 1875; Treadwell’s “Manual” is a brief popular work; Hall, “Bric-à-brac Hunter.” One of the best works in English is Marryat’s “History,” well illustrated, in colors. So also is Graesse’s “Guide de l’Amateur,” a very complete collection, in fac-simile, of marks and monograms. Chaffers’s “Keramic Gallery,” besides historical notices and descriptions, gives several hundred photographs of rare and curious specimens of these arts.

Besides these works, devoted especially to ceramics, it will be well to refer to the following, selected out of many books treating generally of the arts of the middle ages, most of them illustrated in the best style, in which may be found chapters or short treatises on pottery and porcelain, with admirable illustrations adapted for use as designs for decoration: Sommerard’s “Arts au Moyen Âge,” plates; Villemin, “Monumens Français;” Lenoir, “Musée des Monumens Français;” Lacroix, “Arts of the Middle Ages;” Louandre, “Arts Somptuaires;” “Instrumenta Ecclesiastica;” Racinet, “L’Ornement Polychrome;” Jones, “Grammar of Ornament;” Bedford, “Treasury of Ornamental Art;” Newbery, “Gleanings from Ornamental Art;” Chenavard, “Album de l’Ornamentiste;” “Tradesman’s Book of Ornamental Designs;” Wyatt, “Industrial Arts of the Nineteenth Century;” Durand, “Recueil et Parallèles des Edifices de tout Genre;” South Kensington Museum, “Industrial Arts;” “Photographs from the British Museum;” Labarte, “Arts Industriels au Moyen Âge;” Zahn, “Ornamentmalerei.”

Manufacture.—The following books treat more particularly of the processes of manufacture of pottery and porcelain, only incidentally touching the artistic history. They are mostly in French, viz.: Brongniart, “Traité des Arts Céramiques,” two volumes of text and one of plates. This is well illustrated, and cited by all writers on the subject as high authority. Figuier, in the first volume of the “Merveilles de l’Industrie,” which treats both sides of the subject, is very fully illustrated as regards both the manufacture and the art-history of glass, pottery, and porcelain. Other briefer treatises are those by Guillery, Bastenaire-Daudenart, Boyer, and a treatise on pottery (Paris, 1772), in volume ii. of the “Description des Arts et Métiers.” In English: Tomlinson’s “Brief History,” from the “Encyclopædia Britannica;” and Arnoux, in volume iii. of Bevans’s “British Manufacturing Industries.” See also Turgau, “Les Grandes Usines de France,” for history of the Sèvres porcelain; Denistoun, “Dukes of Urbino,” volume iii., page 382, for an account of the manufacture of maiolica in the duchy of Urbino; Rosina, “Memoria sulle Stoviglie,” on manufacture of utensils and analysis of clays in the Lombardo-Venetian territory.

The following books give some practical instructions on painting, enameling, etc.: Tilton, “Designs and Instructions for decorating Pottery;” Snell, “Practical Instructions;” “Art Recreations;” Gessart, “Art of Enameling;” Sutherland, “Practical Guide;” Reboulleau.

Marks and Monograms.—Chaffers’s “Marks and Monograms,” which contains also an historical essay on English pottery, with illustrations; also his “Collector’s Hand-book”—a concisely-arranged volume of fac-similes of marks, a supplement to the work just named; Mareschal, “Iconographie de la Faïence”—a dictionary of ceramic artists and marks, with colored illustrations of the different styles; Hooper and Phillips, “Manual”—a dictionary of easy reference; Demmin, “Guide de l’Amateur de Faïences” (two volumes)—a comprehensive, illustrated work of high authority; Bohn’s “Guide to Knowledge of Pottery and Porcelain,” containing also a priced catalogue of the Bernal collection, and an essay; Maze, “Recherches,” illustrated by photographs; Meteyard’s “Wedgwood Hand-book”—a thorough history of this exquisite ware. See also a work by the same author, for admirable photographs of Wedgwood’s principal works, and Fortnum’s “Catalogue of Maiolica.”

The following books treat of the history of pottery and porcelain of different countries and periods:

England.—For a sketch of the art of pottery in England, see the introductory chapters of volume i. of Eliza Meteyard’s “Life of Josiah Wedgwood;” her “Wedgwood Hand-book,” which gives marks, monograms, priced catalogues, and a glossary of technical terms. The same author has recently (1876) published “Wedgwood and his Works,” admirably illustrated with photographs of his more important works; also “Wedgwood Memorial,” likewise beautifully illustrated. Prefixed to Chaffers’s “Marks and Monograms” is an Essay on the Vasa Fictilia of England;” Jewitt’s “Life of Wedgwood” contains also a “History of the Early Potteries of Staffordshire,” well illustrated; Haslem’s “Old Derby China,” illustrated in color, gives a full account of this ware and of the principal workmen, with marks and price-lists; Binns’s “Century of Potting in Worcester” gives in an appendix a sketch of Celtic, Roman, and Mediæval pottery in Worcestershire. See also “Wedgwood, an Address by W. E. Gladstone” (1863); Boyer, “Traité sur l’Origine, les Progrès et l’État actuel des Manufactures de Porcelaine et de Faïence en Angleterre”—one of the excellent Roret manuals of arts and trades.