New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-13

Inc Duialh 80 lR sRhlcn the famous porcelain i
made are situated in narrow deep valley, hun
dred rods from the Elbe, and are built in the form
of quadrangle, and finely stuccoed. You regis
ter your name not far beneath that Of George b
Mcclellan and pay thirty cents admission fee,
which procures you guide who speaks Indifferent
Il English
The porcelain earth is found in mines near 1Ieis-
| sen, and IS called kaolin. 1t is OF dingy white
color, and contains seVenty-iYe per cent of sand,
which has all to be washed out. The earth is
| mixed with water and passes through numerous
watts sleeves and tronghs in which the sand is pre-
cipitated the water containing the pure earth in
solution being drained off, and the sand settling to
the bottom. 1t Is then packed in small sacks and
slightly pressed until it hardens somewhat, when
the sacks are removed and the Jumps thrown into
large boxes, where they must remain six months.
II IS then ready to be mixed with other iDgre
dients. These are q pure quality of quartz from
Bohemia, and fedspar from Norway, which are
ground many times under water to reduce them
to perfect tneness. Ask the guide in what pro-
portions these are mixed with earth, he gives his
shoulders the peculiar German shrug, and solemnly
informs you thai it is profound secret. 1t is the
only secret in the whole process. When the
doughy mass is ready to be moulded, it is singu-
arly tough and is of light dun color, which dis
appears entirely under white heat.
Most solid articles, such as busts, crucifxes
animals, shrubs and leaves are cast in ordinary
moulds of plaster of Paris. The minateness Of
the division Of the pieces is very great for in
stance, to cast statue, each arm, hand leg foot,
are moulds accumulated in the buildings to the
weight of thousands of tons. Round dishes are
turned on an ordinary wheel; and other articles
are moulded by hand. Lace and fligree work are
made by girls, and is formed drop by drop from a
pointed stick, each drop being no larger than a
pin head. The articles are baked in pans of fire
clay, in huge ovens three stories in height. In
the first baking, they are set in the second and
third stories, which are brought only to red heat;
afterward in the lower one, where the heat is
white.
Every baking lasts twenty-four hours. After
the first baking, all the parts of the vessels that
are to be blue OF green are painted with prepare.
tons of cobalt and chrome green respectively.
They are then dipped in the glazing, which is a
thin solution of feldspar, quartz, lime and old
china, ground fine. So porous is the material
that in two seconds after it is out of the liquid it
is dry, though sufficient deposit has been left to
conceal all the painting, which only reappears
after the second baking. Those portions of " bis
cult china " which are unglazed are covered,
when dipped in the liquid, with paint which
prevents the glazing from adhering but remains
colorless. After the second baking those vessels
that are simple in their decorations and require
few colors, receive their finishing coats, and are
baked third and last time. Others, more ele-
giant and more complicated, are baked fourth,
fifth and even sixth time, not to harden the vessel
still more, but to melt the paints and allow the
artist to give it additional finishing touches. All
the paints are made of metals dissolved in their
chemical solvents, and applied with |
ordinary fine brushes. The yellow, for instance,
is produced by gold which is twenty-four cafats
fine, made OF dueats, and dissolved in the sui |
phate OF iron. The heat of the furnace is so in. |
tense as to melt all these metals and give them
luster, except gold and silver, which come forth
dull as they entered and are polished with
agates. If the article has escaped cracking by |
heat it is now finished and ready for market
The loss from cracking is very great. Three |
fourths of all the vessels spoiled in the baking
many OF them splitting in the fifth or sixth heating
after vast amount of labor has been expended |
on them, This adds much to the cost of porcelain.
Every piece shrinks one-fifth in heating, and yet
remains Of the same weight throughout All the |
aborers work by the piece, so that whatever is
broken after the first heating they receive no pay
for unless it is broken in heating.
Ihere are over four hundred workmen en-
ployed IN the establishment, among whom are |
large number Of girls and women. Great stead- |
ness Of nerve and accuracy Of sight are required,
quite Incompatible with drinking habits. In every
department except that where the glazing is con.
Quoted the workmen are not exposed to injurious
vapors, aud consequently have good health and
look fresh, At least ene-ffth OF them have i'm
paired their eyes; though they do not work after
night, they are Obliged 70 use shades or glasses.
me greatest quiet prevails throughout amid per-
feet cheer1ulness and apparent contentment |
Every workman is allowed a whole window. to |
which he sits very close and YOU will not notice
q WINDOW, Sheinel belonging to man or woman,
that Is not filled with pot-plants climbing vines
Every workman is first drilled three years in ex- |
ercises Of drawing, moulding, and general study |
OF forms and col0rs, then passes through an an. /
premiership ofsix years, after which he proceeds
by gradual promotion from the lowest to the high.
est grade in his department. Promotions are not
made from one department to another, each one |
giving his exclusive attention from first to last
either to painting. moulding, or baking.
Even the best artists get no more than seventy
five thalers month-ahout the same number Of
dollars in our present currency. There are
painters whose talents are manifestly of a
very high order. In passing through their
rooms we see the walls hung with classical
engrayings, and scattered about are portfolios of