The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1872-12-20
PEDIGREE OF A DOLL.
4 Story for Girls md is0ys.


They were very careful not to let the so
cret 60 out of their own land, and would
not export their choicest wares, lest somt
one should discover how they were made
Even the japanese, their nearest neigh
bors, did not gain the art for many
years.
All the world admired tho beautiful
cups, vase and dishes which came from
China, and called them Chinaware
Some evil.mindel persons used to suspect
that these dainty wares were made of hu
man bones; which was of course very
false, for porcelain is made from a kind
of fporcelaia clay. This clay is very pure
and is obtained by decomposition oI
feldspar granite rocks. The Chinese
called this clay kaolin.
II was wonderful, the perfection which
the Chinese attained in making porcelain.
The ancient and celebrated egg shell
wares were especially delicate and beau
tiful. Egg-shell cups. Jars, vases, at on'
time, made as thin as bamboo paper, and
almost transparent. Some were left
pure white, Others tinged dainty cream
color. and others were painted a delicate
blue. The flvorite shade of the Chinese
in blue was called "bue as the sky aftel
shower" The most expensive ware
manufactured was called "crackle." Va.
ses, of this crackle, would be covered
with a net work of tiny cracks, produced
by a sudden chilling in the baking
These vases would afterward be dipped
in colored glaze, perhaps ruby red
which, settling in the cracks, gave then
a lovely appearance.
The Chinese artists take great pains in
decorating these porcelain wares, and as
each artist has his speciality, it often re
quiros several to paint Il single cup. One
paints the flowers, anoi her the birds, .
third paints the landscapes and fourth
traces the humln figures.
Sometimes they arrange these picture'
cunningly between layers Of porcelain,
the outer lars. heing ground very ihin
In this case the pic.n-a dos not show a
all until the vase is filed with some col
ored liquid, which, by giving It darl
background, reveals it as if by magic
There are 5000 furnaces at one time il
King-te-chin, and, as may be imagined
they manufactured a great deal of porce
lain. Indeed, so important has thi
manufacture become, that, whenever {
baking of porcelain is finished, a day i
:, apart for thanksgiving and rejoicing
Porcelain become so plentifalin China
tAat = tower vas built of porcelain tiles
near Nankin. This tower was nine sto
les high, and each story was furnisbe-
with gallery, cornice and roof Of greer
tiles, which, .: cye:y eosnc. we're hun:
bells, 50 light as to be easily moved by
the wind. 1t must have been grand IL
have heard those bells in storm. Thii
tower was once considered the eight
wonder of the world; bat these bells runl
together for the last time in 1856, wher
the tower was blown down in q storm.
The Chinese could not keep their Sc
cret always; and il was first discovered
by the japanese, who were careful not tt
let it 90 out of their own island.
A French monk travelling in China il
17l2, caught some glympses Of the mys
terry, and he sent all the information h,
could gain TO friend of his in France
named Reaumur. These hint, together
with some specimens of choice China
ware which the monk had sent him, ena
bled Roaumur 70 make kind of sofl
porcelain, which resembles glass, and
will melt at high heat. Boettcher, ;
poor German apothecary, first discovereo
the art of making true porcelain in the
year of 1909. The elector, Frederick
Augustus, was so pleased with his dis
covery that he founded porcelain man
uiactory, and placed Boettcher at the
head of it. Boettcher's discovery soon
spread over Europe, and now the porce
lain of Dresden, that of Sevres in France
and Worchester in England, are far SUI
perior to anything China has ever pro
ducei. There is more taste displayed in
the form; greater beauty and variety Of
colors and the painting is such as thC
Chinese artists are in no capacity to ri
val.
.Wedgewood, an Englishman who
lived in the last century, was yery sue
cessful in manufacturing beautiful cream
coiored wares. He asked permisson O
Queen Charlotte to cali his wares queen,
wares, which WAS granted, and since that
time the term queens ware has been ap
piled to many other varieties.
suppose sheda, and many other little
girls, would like to know just how theiI
dolls are made. Your doll, Lucy, Sheda
was once a part of a granite rock thai
rested and grew messy ON a rugged