The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-01-16
X MENTAL WARE
sR0WiS6 TASTE OF THE PEOPLE
FOR DECORATED POTTERY.
Marvellous Popularity of tho Japancsque
English Wares and French-Desicns
Turned Ont by Our Home Fact
ories-Pctter at Work.
lC1icago NewsI

altogether lnexpiicable phenomenon A
few years ago some Japanese merchants
and decorators ransacked their eastern
treasure houses and exhibited the choice st
OF their art products at the centennial ex-
.1o-itiou at Philadelphia. Tho idea doubt
lsss was to open up a new market for thar
goodx No only did they do this, but they
established e place in beaux arts for the
Japanesqus. and in the department. of dec
orative art thay revoiutionized the tasts of
q people. In the comparatively short space
OF nine years as marked a Renaissance has
occurred in this respect as any that Is re-
corded in the history of letters or of paint
ing.
The marvellous popularity of tho Japan
esque may be noted at one extreme in the
underglazed decoration Of humble pie
plate. and at the other in the costumes and
antics Of a Mdlle. Nitouche. In the matter
OF interior decoration everything has re-
ceived touch, be it ever so slight, from its
quaint brush which has instantly transfig.
ured II The present popularity Of tho an
tique, as exemplife1 in curiously shaped
bottles, and pilgrims jars, bearing
quaintly-designed figures and arabesques,
may be traced directly back to the Japan
csc exhibit at the centennial
ARTISTS AND MANUFACTURERS.
AT first only undergiazed or unglazsd pot
terry was sought after, but, as artists and
manufacturers became more familiar with
the japanese principles OF design, this first
rude conception disappeared, and specimens
OK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT china and porcelain
began to attract widespread interest and
admiration. The best of this work comes
from the great factories in the vicinity OF
Stoughton, in England, although many
very choice specimens come from Carl bad,
on the continent There is o very ancient
pottery also located at Nancy, in France,
which, according to conn oisseurs, turns out
the most artistic faience in the world. Iii:
made under the supervision OF a French
artist named Emils Gale. The odd shapes,
and the dark, richly-shaded colorings of his
work make it peculiarly attractive.
As q rule. however, the English wares
are preferred to the French for two reasons.
The first is that the French china Is made
from the clayey substance found in the bod
OF q running stream; it is exceedingly brit
tie. and Is, therefore easily broken. The
English china, on the other hand, is made
OF the same clay that is made in the manu-
facture Of earthenware, with an alloy OF
ground bone to make 1t translucent 1t is
tough and fibrous, and with ordinarv care
will not break or nick easily. Thei. the
French style Of decoration has very strong
resemblance to the work dons by amateurs
and dabblers in china painting, while the
English designs are so complicated and
ornate es to defy imitation. The English
china is softer, too, and it therefore takes
highly oolored decorations more easily than
the French.
The finest of this English ware is the
"Royal Worcester" which is celebrated for
It's soft, elegant finish; it is uncolored, and
Is decorated with designs in platinum and
gold. Next to the Royal Worcester ware
comes the Crowned Doulton," from the
factories at Lambeth, England. It is re-
markable for its underglazng and its cele-
bratet etch-stone work. The newest thing,
however, is a notified treatment OF the ware
itself after the pattern of lace with parts of
the surface covered with designs which arc
colored in rich Indian rcd. AT an obscure
town in Wales called Coalport is situated
the old John Rose factory, which dates back
to 1859. This factory gained its reputation
by copying the cashmere shawl designs. 1t
now .urns out ware which is peculiar for
its relief decorations and designs in raised
flowers. The Minton, Wedgewood ami Cope
land factories take the lead in making USE
ful wares, those produced at Stoughton and
Lambeth being purely ornamental
LOTTERIES IN THIS COUNTRY.
There arc many potteries also in this
country, but they manufacture useful
wares almost exclusively. Tho designs,
however, turned out by the home factories
are the prettiest in the world, and they are
fast making reputation for themselves.
The porcelain and Opaque china wares and
services arc said to give better satisfaction
for the money paid than any other wares.
foreign or domestic. A distinctively Amer
lean art product which, however, bears a
foreign nams. Is the "Itaiian growing vase"
1t Is made OF q peculiar red clay found
near North Cambridge. Mass, which is
nodded into simple. conventional shapes,
and is left unglazed. TIE vase in this forr,
should be soaked in water fer thirty six
hoursL Grass seed should then DO sprinkled
oyer it. and il it be left in warm, dark
room it will ba quickly covered with a
thick growth or young grass This will not
wilt for several months, and the process
can be repeated again and again.
So popular have ceramics become in Chi
cago that q pottery has been established
here which turns out great deal OF very
creditabls ware. Undergrad faisncs ware
snd decorations in paste are done at this
pottery, although = good deal Of Limoges
faience Is also turned out A mineral clay
brought from Ohio is used i'll the work. It
arrives, Of course, in nude state, and is
takes some time to reduce it to proper
socm. 1t is first swashed7 in q plungsr IN
til it is dissolved Then it is run through a
fine silk lawn, which catchss ali tina impure
lio, in ths shape OF pebbles AMI grit. and
!saves shs pure clay. This is allowed to
settle in vat until the water rises to ths
top. This is then skinned off. leaving
the clay about the consistency of putty.
A fire is kiniied under it, which evaporatss
sny remaining moisture, and the clay is
ready Tor uss.
The potter then "bats outn the c.&y, which
as usss like a sheet OF pie-crust, and by
means o. a plaster OF paris n,oli forms into
any desired shaps The plaster absorbs
she moisture in thu clay, AMI the form is
thereby simply "sGrunk out" CT the mold.
The shape is yet SOFT AMI in this condition
it passes into the hanis of the decorator. 1t
may be decorated in several ways It may
be painted with mineral color. which Is
i,ai&ef with soft clay, or slip" to give il q
body which viii! neusralizs with the clay
while burning, or flowers may be modelled
tn relief upon it, or il may DO carved.
There are three kinds OF carving-relief