Having been a collector of Parian for over 20 years, your author knew the objects discussed in M.A.D. were real rarities.
Parian porcelain is the all-white porcelain primarily associated with figure modeling.
It has its origins in the biscuit or bisque modeling of the 18th century. The name Parian is derived from its similarity to the white marble mined on the island of Paros in the Aegean Sea. What is known is that the Victorians who embraced it had a positive mania for the material. The starting date for Parian manufacture is put at circa 1845. By 1851 at the Great Exhibition in London, over ten manufacturers, among them the leading firms in British ceramics, included Parian in their displays.