Connecticut western news., 1877-06-22
Early Porcelain Works.

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 Early Porcelain Works.
 The first porcelain works set up in England were at Chelsea and Bow 1 There seems to be no record of the pre- else date of their establishment, nor ot the names of the proprietors. They probably began about the year 1730, and were in full work in 1745, and existed thirty or forty years. .--1-.
 Bow china was made at Stratford-le- Bow. It is often embossed and of quaint devices. The quality of the clay is in- ferior, and the painting, on plain ground, flowers and landscapes in bistre. A bee was occasionally placed in relief or painted on the handle or spout of the jug. The early specimens I of Chelsea were painted to resemble Oriental porcelain, and show a rude- ness and want of finish usual to the first stage of any manufacture. The custom of German Princes to attach china manufactories to their conrt no doubt influenced George II. to encour- age the Chelsea works. He brought models and artists from Soxony, and enabled Chelsea to produce articles which rivaled in excellence and splen- dor the best importations from Dresden. Horace Walpole speaks of a service which he saw, intended as royal pres ent, which cost 91, 200. The Chelsea establishment was finally broken up about 17S0, and the workmen and the models were transferred to Derby.
 The first forms of Chelsea china are in a great degree after the French models. The colors are fine and vivid, blue de roi, apple green, turquoise, and especially claret-color, which seems to be peculiar to Chelsea. Many of the cabinet specimens approach the best productions of Sevres in color and painting. The porcelain, from the softness of it's paste, will not bear any fresh exposure to the heat of a furnace. so that it cannot easily be repaired or Gas they say) 'sdoctored." The em- bossed oval with raised anchor is gen. orally considered as the earliest mark afterwards the anchor was simply painted in red or gold; the gold anchor has no relatian to the quality of the piece. Fine examples of Chelsea ware, especially vases, are very valuable and fetch high prices.
 The Derby manufactory was founded in 175O, and in 1777 Dr. Johnson said that the china was beautiful. but so dear that he could have silver vessels made as cheap as those sold there of porce. lain. Derby china is very transparent and is characterized by a bright blue upon the border or edges of tea-ser. vices; the ground is generally plain The figures are not equal to those ot Chelsea; but the white biscuit figures rival the biscuits of Sevres. The secret of the Derby biscuit appears to have been lost; but the parian has sprung from it. The marks are various; and lists are given in books upon the sub- ject.
 Plymouth china is very rare, and some of the best specimens have great beauty and excellence of workmanship The manufactory was established about l first made in England. The usual orna. mentation consists of flowers, butter. flies, birds, and monsters in rich colors and sometimes with much gliding. A not uncommon characteristic is crack in the glaze. The manufacture lasted only about twelve or fifteen years. ant the proprietor's patent right was solo D,,so oA1 china consists mostly of tea and desser , figures, and bouquets of flowers, in the style of Vincennes. The common ware is generally blue and white, the best il . rich in gliding and painting. Th' groups are inferior to Chelsea, but bet ter than those of Plymouth. The bes known mark was cross. Bristol chin; ! is very rare, from the same cause as thu Plymouth, the shortness of the time o
 production.
 The Worcester works were begun = about the year 1750; and the invention l of printing upon the porcelain was al | most contemporaneous. The chin made from 176O to 1770 was of very SUI
 perior quality, and the colors used o1
 some of the ornamental pieces approacl
 closely to the Chelsea, and often in i'm n itation of Japanese. The marks are o !, great variety, but denotes the change = that have occurred in the ownershi n nn and direction, and enables us to ascer 2 tain the dates of particular examples. s The first porcelain made at Worceste # was what is called a frit body; that is Il consisting of materials that have bee e e fritted or melted together at a greate Q heat in order to form chemically tha $ which we have naturally in the porce = lain clays. The proportions of tn $ Worcester body were the result of tn l. scientific Investigations of Dr. Wal
 and no other artificial porcelain excel 70 it, either in closeness of texture or pe1
 feet union with the glaze. It is sai