Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-10-13


at manufacture in Europe is supposed to
have been made in Spain by the Moors
then, about the middle of the fourteenth
century, large mandatory was esab-
lished in the Beleanc Isles, which ware
was called Uto!jca, from Majorca, the
largest Of the islands. This manufacture
was afterwards removed to Italy, and up
to the middle Of the sixteenth century It
was carved as many Improvements were
being from time to time effected; but the
articles were all made OF coarse brownish
paste, the imperfections OF which were con.
cealed by an opaque glaze, instead of the
material being perfectly white and clear,
and the glaze transparent as in good for
eign and modern European ware.
About this time, that is, in the middle Of
the sixteenth century came the epoch OF
Bernard Palissy, in France, whose persist.
ency and long enduring patience under the
most severe trials and dlsappotntments,
enough to have altogether quenched the
ardor and zeal OF less perseyering and in.
domitabe man, in his attempts to discover
new and perfect enamel glaze, which
/ were at length crowned with success, are
matters OF history.
The discovery of the proper materials for
/ the manufacture Of porcelain in England,
forms quite a curious episode in the his.
! tory of the art. For some time previous,
rough and common earthen ware had
I been manufactured, but about the latter
| part OF the seventeenth century began that
! improvement, which has since been pei.
/ focted, and has brought the art to its pres
! ent high condition.
The peculiar clay used in China for this
purpose is called "Kaohu," soft SUBJ
stance full Of gittegipg particles, and 'pe'
/ tun-tse, which is brilliantly fine, white
aud soft. Nous, d'Entrecolles, the mis-
sionary before referred to, sent home from
/ China few specimens OF this "kaolin,
and Mr.. Uorkworthy, Of Plymouth, III
England, found upon examination, that t
was identical with ve Y fine clay which
| he had seen near Helston, in Cornwall.
Then it was accidentally discovered that
| salt thrown on the articles heated IN the
| furnace, covered them with rough glaze;
and after this, gentleman named Asst
| bury, who was engaged Ia the manutac.
/ ture, having some occasion to make use OF
! this cacinated flints, noticing their line,
white, opaque substp nee tried the expert
ment OF adding them 10 the materials OF
which be nade his China, and thus 10y the
mere.t accident hit upon the last needed
ingredient for the perfection of the art.
10 Josiah Wedgwood however Is due
the honor OF having by his genius and IN
dustry, and by his devotion to the art, not
only improved the style and ornamentatlon
of the ware manufactured, bat also entire
ly altered tbs character OF the manuiac-
ture.
Meanwhile, on the European Continent
similar progress is being made. About the
commandments of the eighteenth century
was established, near Dresden, q manu-
factory, which vas the origin OF the ceie-
braied Dresden China. The discovery o.
sbe clay for the famous ware was very re-
markable. A gait white earth was diseoY-
eyed near Clue, ~ a man named sehnoor,
and by him used as a substitute Tor hair
powder. 1t answered so we'll for this
purpose thatit WGs soon almost universally
irTequisitiOn. 4 German alcheml3t named
Bostecher, who has been for some time
eypenmenting with a lew TO the Improve
meat of porcelain, observing the earthly ma
ture OF this hair powder, tested 1t and to
MS great delight toGud that 1t was the very
thing he had been seeking for to perfect
his porcelain. So important was this dis
coyerv deemed that the manufacture was
carried on by the Hector, with the greatest
sacrs Every workman was sworn TO
secrecy, under per@lty of Imprisonment
for lie. The manufGctOry was TO all !ntents
and purposes fortress, the portcullls being
down day and night. The discovery was
followed by the far-i04ed works OF Sevres,
the porcelain from which, from its extreme
Wilderness and trauslucency, its beautiful
glazing and colored ground holds at present
the very first rank. n the magnlticence OF
its gliding, and the regularity and ele-
gance OF It's forms, 1t surpasses every other
kind II China vases aDd other objects Of
the most equisite beauty, are madetIom it,
| but their great cost places them beyond
the means of all except the most wealthy,
| 1t is, however, more apt 10 crack by sud-
/ deu change OF temperature, Is more brlttie,
| and consequently requires to be formed
/ INTO thicker and heaFier vessels, and Is
/ likewise IL ore fuslble than the finest por-
| celain Of Japan and China.
| Chinese porcelain, as wo all know, IS
/ very peculiar in it's stTle Of enumeration,
/ This arises, doubtless, from the fact that
division OF labor is one of their leading
characteristics, and IS carried even into
! their designs, so thao different WorAmen,
without any concert or plan, paint success
siva portions OF the same group or figure,
/ thereby contributing to tho grotesqneneSs
| OF Their work. The extreme grot9squalsss
of their artistic Efforts is heightened also
by their completely ignoring all the ogdn-
airy r2les Of perspective. AS a wonderful
and i2disputabe proof of the perfection 20
/ Which the Chinese Brought this ar, CEN
| turio3 before il was even heard OF IN other
coua.les, we may cite the tar.hmed pOF-
celain tower at NGukiu, which is nearly
BOO feet high, and entirely covered with
porcelain tiles. Tbs tower has now stood
four hundred yesa, and does not appear
to have suffered in the least from the ac-
ton of the air and weather IN oil thar long
period Il tine.
SEA Moss FARINE.-TAis ia a new article OF
/ food which we take pleasure commencing
. O.. .t,p raq8.ra va lnya u-aH IN In Dur .gIi.