The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-10-11
How the Manufacture Of Dresden Ware
Is Carried On.

The clay from which Dresden china
found about an hours journey from
Nielsen. When it arrives it is sifted
and pulverized several times, till moth
ing but the finest and purest part re-
mains; in this state it looks like very
fine flour, with a slight yellow
tinge. 1t is then mixed with fcldspatz
"a kind Of flint is ground to
powder gypsum and water. made into
huge balls, and kept in zinc-lincd boxes,
to be served out as occasion requires.
There was nothing in the molding of
the commoner forms, or in the
whirling of plates and bowls,
ETC., in any way differing from
the ordinary method pursued in
every china mandatory in this coun-
try, and this is therefore not worth de-
scribing. In a very long gallery
round two sides of a square, and into
which opened the various work-rooms
we saw the most extraordinary col
lection Of molds; bodies guiltless of
heads, legs or arms; right legs, left
legs, and without shoes; birds, animals
and fishes, ready to be filed at will.
In a large and well-lighted room sat a
perfect army of workmen, to whom the
contents of these molds were given,
after one baking and while the clay is
still plastic. Taking body, they
joined arms and legs and head with in
conceivable rapidity, passing a camel's-
hair brush dipped in water to make the
members stick on. With small agate
tools each began to bring these nodded
figures to perfection. The workman
gave the eyes expression; he dcepened
an eyelid, softened the cheek, rounded
an arm, marked the finger-nails, patted
it on one side, then on the other, till it
stood before us shepherdess complete.
Nothing was more marvellous than the
gentleness and dexterity with which the,
derful quickness with which he manip-
ulated each smallest detail. Next to
this room in point of interest was the
one where the raised fruits and flowers
are made and arranged on each vase or
jug or basket. There is no molding
here. The most delicate leaves are
rolled at the point of the accomplished
fingers; leaf is added to leaf, every bit
of the smallest rose is curled,
patted into shape, and stuck into
its place, till it grows before you
into perfect rose. The tiniest petal
of each dininutive forget-me-not is
made by itself, and put in its place by
the aid of dainty -held pincers, that
might belong to fairy-land. The min
iature flowers on the lap of a dancing
girl are all made in the same way, and,
seeing the time taken, and the care re-
qaired, it made one understand why
g raised china" cost SO much. The
perforated edges of plates and baskets
are marked in the molds, and cut out
with penkife afterward, then care
fully rounded and smoothed by the in
eyitable agate tools. Indeed, in all
cases the mold gives the forms very
roughly, and much more skilled labor
is required than we had imagined $50
people being the regular staff, which
does not include artists, sometimes
specially engaged to undertake the
painting of particular orders. When
the china is ready it is taken to be
baked again, then glazed, then painted,
then baked again, some cases being
baked no less than six times, and
breaking to pieces in the sixth baking.
These accidents, however, are much
less frequent than formerly, as the de-
gree and distribution OF heat are all |
much better understood now. The
ovens are built in circular chambers,
and We stood in the center Of one, flnd- !
ing the heat less than we had expected.