The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-25
LITERATURE.
Books on Art, Bric.a-Brac and
Pottery.
THE HISTORY OF KERAMlCS.
A Glance Over the Field of
Contemporary Art.

Al the risk OF being thought ddactical We will give
general idea OF what pottery isor alt hough there
are great many OF the HsRALDs readers who are
thoroughly IN formed this subject there are many
again who have but the vaguest ideas about It. Pot
terry In It's broadcast meaning includes everything made
BY baking IN ire or furnace into tho composition OF
which clay Pottery Is Of two kinds soft ana
hard common building brick is the simplest Illus
raon Of soft pottery, while are brick is the SIM
plcst illustration OF hard pottery Soft pottery Is d.
vided into four casses--the ungazed the iustrous,
the glazed and the enamelled. Most modern pottery
including Sarecen, Italian, French, German, Dutch
and other ware, known sjoca and iaience is soft
pottery cnamellcd. Faience is term derived from
Faenza, an Italian city, where decorated china was
largely made In The sixteenth century. The
term ceramic" s'kcrnmic" MS l, is FASH
onably called, includes all works in pot.
terry, porcelain and The word is
derived from the Greek, hence the "k' Porcelain 10
product OF clay and sand, and is translucent Pot
terry Is always Opaque. Porcelain is also divided into
two classes the hard and the soft The Oldest pot
terry known Is Egyptian, supposed to have been made
1000 years before Christ. The early Egyptians also
had the art OF enamcng pottery. Some OF their en-
Amel coors have never boon surpassed. In the valley
81 the Euphrates records Kept tablets OF pot
terry and much Of the history o! the pcoplo Of that
country has been preserved 10 us in that way.
fOttery, as all know WHO nave read ~ r.. LongIel-
lows poem, "Keramos" in the December Harper,
u made a revolving disk. table, turned by
he loot OF the potter or by machinery. The clay is
thrown in lump upon tho wheel, which is Ia mo-
hon. and with the thumb and fingers aud simple tools
The potter moulds his wares. The clay is con-
stantly mostened The pottery is then baked, then
painted in colors then glazed rchaked. The glaze
Is prepared in liquid room. Porcelain objects are
formed on the wheel or In moulds. Thin Sevres
vases made by subjecting the paste the mould
20 atmosphere pressure There is place in this
country where get better idea OF pottery and
porcelain than At the Metropolitan Art Museum where
he secs the rudest forms Of clay and the finest OF
sevres Amateurs have gone extensively into the dec
bration Of pottery lately, and there shops along
Broadway where placques and decoration can
be had, and there furnaces In New York where
work may be baked With these general remarks
pottery and porcelain we give below notices OF two
books that contain elaborate descriptions of the
art and Its growth.
POTTERY AND PORCELAIN FROM EARLY TIMES Down
TO THE PHILADELPHIA EXHIBITION OF 1875 BY
Charles WHY'S Elliott With los illustrations and
the more important marks and monograms. New
YORK. D. Appleton Co.
The fashionable rage present day Is for bric-a
brac, term used for such articles as porcelain ana
pottery: any odds and ends that objects OF art;
therefore book that treats OF this subject learned
home whero good taste is practised. Mr. Elliott has
gathered together the most important facts respecting
this subject In England the rage china beg an
In Queen Anne's days and has had no abate ment At
Chrstie's auction rooms in London, whenever q
famous collection is offered for sale the wealth and
culture OF the country assemble there and Join good
natured rivalry bit OF china or bronze Gladstone
Is q famous collector known to have paid Ell 900
for rare piece OF porcelain that could carry home
In his arms. There is no taste apt TO carry one
AWAY that for brca brac and there none that is
more gratifying TO ones friends well ones self
There is rage in this country for old china It IL
very mild compared to that In England. We hesitate
at few hundred dollars for brittle bit; English COL
iectors are not stopped by thousands. OF collections
OF porcelain and pottery one must of look Tor
great exhibitions to the museums OF Europe-such
the Kensngton Museum. In London; the Cluny, IN
Paris; the Green Vaults, IN Dresden; the Oriental at
Leyden-and to private collections, such as the
Rotnschlds have made at London and at Paris, 10
Lady Schreibor's and many moro England Those
that are accessible to us the Metropolitan Museum
OF Art and the private collections of our own
people "ln New York." says Mr.. Elliott ..Mr. William
C. Primes collection Is quite large, numbering some
four thousand pieces 1t is particularly devoted to
the porceains OF Europe and in 1t some four or
i've complete dinner services OF old Dresden and
Scvres porcelain and many valuable single
pieces Mr. $. r. Avery's collection ls very
rich In all the departments, especially the
Chinese His pieces celestial blue number more
than any other single collection this country The
collection OF Mr. Robert Hoe J extremely choice in
its admirable specimens of Oriental porcelain Its 'egg
Shells crackles and celestial bues' are not to DO
excelIed In this collection examples OF other
styles, among them Of the best OF old Dresden
Mr. W. l.. Andrews has very choice collection Of
Oriental porcelain-probaby the best in tho country
containing most OF the back and other egg
SHE'LL Mr.. Edward CANNING cham, of Milton, Mass
Mr. J. V. L. Pruyn, Of Albany, N Y; Mr. G. w.
Wales, of Boston; Mrs. Arson Burlingamc, DR.. f. W.
Lewis. +. S. Clark and Mr.. JOS A. Clay, OF Philadel-
pnia; Mr.. Walters, OF Baltimore and Mr. Probasco. Of
Cincinnati, have each fine collections Mr.. Pruyn has
p complete dinner service OF Sevrcs porcelain made
fer Louis Philippe" Mr.. Elliott quotes some OF tho
prices at which various pieces valued They are
enough to make the blood OF the impecunious col
ector freeze In his For instance, large ever
owned by II. Magniac 81, 5o0 three large owned
by Sir Anthony de Rothschild 81, 200; candlesick,
Baron G. de Rothschld, ell 900. Five hundred pounds
is not considered large prco to pay for coveted
peco OF porcelain. Mr.. Elliott gives description
oil the most famous wares, with an account OF their
origin. The term 'maiohca,n or ''mjolica" which Is
q snibboleth OF collectors, comes from tho island Of
MoJorca either pronunciation is probably correct
The term IN It's generic means what delft docs
in Holland, iacnce in France and oarthenware in
England As Tar as can BIO known with certainly
porcelain made this country in 1869
l770. Now the making OF porcelain Is
important Industry the United States.
We have plenty OF The best clay. good workmen,
tasteful desgners-some OF potteries have turned
out work which VIII compare well with tina, OF
the Old World. The value OF Mr.. E,ots book is In.
creased by a careful index and list OF works pot
terry and porcelain useful TO the amateur or collector
Tho printing and binding OF the book evidently
with eye 70 tho holidays
DIR. Primes BOOK on POTTERY AND PoRoR-
LAIN.
POTTERY AND PORCELAIN OF ALI TIMES AND NATIONS,
with Tables OF Factory and Artists Marks Tor the
Use OF Collectors BY William Z. Prime, LII. ID. New
York Harper Brothers
Whatever Dr. Primo has to say on the subject of
pottery and porcelain will be read with interest, Tor