Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-02-10
ORNAMENTAL WARE.
GROWING TASTE OF THE PEOPLE
FOR DECORATED POTTERY.
Marvellous Popularity of tine Japanesque
--English Wares and Frenoh--DesiRns
Tarned Out by Our Home Fact
orles--Potter at Work.


few years ago soms Japanese merchants |
and decorators ransacked their eastern |
treasure HOUSES and exhibited the choicest |
Of their art products at the centennial ex-
position at Philadelphia. The idea doubt
less was to open up new market for their
goods No only did they do this, but they
place In beaux arts for the |
Japanesque and in the department of dec
orative art they revolutionized the taste Of
a people. In the comparatively short space
of nine years as marked q 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 the 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 Mdlle. Nitouche. In the matter
of interior decoration everything has re-
ceived a touch, he it ever so slight from It's
quaint brush which has Instantly transig-
ured it. The present popularity of the an
tique, as exempliflei in curiously shaped
ewers, urns, amphor@, Spanish water
bottles, and pilgrims jars, bearing
quantity designed figures and arabesquss,
may be traced directly back to the Japan
csc exhibit at the centennial
ARTISTS AND mANUfAOIUhEhSs
At first only underglazed 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
Of elegantly decorated china and porcelain
began to attract widespread interest and
admiration. The best of this work comes
from the great factories in the vicinity OF
in I'm nd oil
very choice specimens come from Carlsbad,
on the continent There is very ancient
pottery also located at Nancy, in France,
which, according to conn oisseurs turns out
the most artistic faience in the world. Its
made under the supervision Of French
artist named Emile Gale. The odd shapes,
and the dark richly-shaded colorings Of his
work make it peculiarly attractive.
As rule. however, the English wares
are preferred to the French for two reasons.
The first is that the French china is made
firm the clayay substance found in the bed
of running stream; it is exceedingly brit
tie, and is, therefore easily broken. The
English china, onvthe 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 it translucent 1t Is
tough and tlbrous, and with ordinary care
will not break or nick easily. Then the
French style of decoration has very, strong
resemblance 10 the work done by amateurs
and dabbers in china painting. while the
English designs are so complicated and
ornate as to iefy imita ton. The English
china is softer, TOD, and it therefore takes
highly colorei decorations more easily than
the French.
The finest of this English ware Is the
@Royal Worcester" which is celebrated for
its soft, elegant finish; it is uncolored and
is decorated with desigsi in platinum and
gold. Next to the Royal Worcester ware
comes the Crowned Doulton," from the
factories at Lambeth, England 1t is re-
markable for its underglazlng and its cele-
bratei 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 are
colored in rich Indian red. At an obscure
town in Wales called Coalport is situated
the old John Rose factory, which dates back
to 1850. This factory gained its reputation
by copying the cashmere shawl designs 1t
now turns out ware which is peculiar for
its relief decorations AMI designs in raised
flowers. The Minton, Wedge wood and Cope
land factories take the lead in making USE
full wares, those produced at Stoughton and
Lambeth being purely ornamental
PoTTERIEs IN THIS COUNTRY.
There are many potteries also in this
country, but they manufacture useful
wares almost exclusively. The designs,
however, turned out by the home factories
are the prettiest in the world, and they are
fast making a reputation for themselves.
The porcelain and opaque china wares and
services are said to give better satisfaction
for the money paid than ang other wares,
foreign or domestic A distinctively Amer
lean art product, which, however, bears a
foreign name is the "Itaian growing vase"
Ii is made OF peculiar red clay, found
near North Cambridge, Mass, which is
nodded into simple. conventional shapes,
and is left unglazed. The vase in this form
should be soaked in water for thirty six
hours. Grass seed should then be sprinkled
over it, and If it be left in warm, dark
room it will be quickly covered with a
thick growth OF 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
cage that pottery has been established
here which turns out a great deal OF very
creditable ware. Underglazei faience ware
and 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 in the work 1t
arrives, of course, in nude state, and it
takes some time to reduce it to proper
form. 1t is first "washed" in plungsr uu-
til it is dissolved Then it is run through a
fine silk lawn, which catches all the impuri.
ties, in tae shape of pebbles AMI grit and
leaves tie pure clay. This is allowed to
l.. 1. 4 ko,, a
top. tbs is thea SKINNED off, leaving
the clay about the consistency OF putty.
A fire la kindlsd under it, which evaporates
any remaining moisture, and the clay Is
ready for use.
The potter then "bats out" the clay, which
he uses like sheet Of pie-crust. aud by
means OF plaster Of paris mold forms into
any desired shape. The plaster absorbs
the mosturs in the clay. and the form, Z
thereby sfmoly "shrnrt-.~s-0a ol Une moiu.
III 'c-s,s IS YET soft, and in this condition
1t passes into the hanis Of the decorator II
may be decorated in several ways. 1t may
be painted with a mineral color, which is
mixei with soft clay, or Slip to give 1t O
body which will neutralize with tue clay
while burning, or flowers may be modelled
in reliif upon it, or it may be carved.
There are three kinds OF carving relief,
intaglio, and what is called "tracing," on a
picked background.
After pa sing through the decorative
process the form is carefully dipps into a
vat Of glazs-a chemical composition the
combinatiln of which Is q secret. Thii
gives tue flash or surface. The piece ma 1
Then be allowed to dry thoroughly. for
should it contain any moisture when pui
into the kiln, steam would be genera cd and
the form broken. When dry the form
subjected to fierce heat for eighteen hours
In bricked-up kiln. and when 1t comes out
OF the furnace it is underglazsd faience.