The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-27

or opaque varnish, and it is this compos-
ition that after second firing becomes
enamel.
The workman who thus hathes the pot
terry must be very skillfu. for in this
stage the objects absorb all liquids, and
the white must everywhere be of the same
density. In a very few moments the
white liquid dries, and the biscuit o. b.
tanned is ready for the painter.
In olden times great artists did not al
dain the decoration OF Delft pottery, but
to-day this portion of the work is in the
hands OF apprentices, who, while they
make very creditab!e copies, vet have but
little love for their art and little desire
for originality.
These painters make their brushes them
selves and their paints consist only of
cOlOring matter, mixed with water. They
use neither palette nor other artistic uten-
sis. The painter first traces the bands
that form the border of a plate. or the
frame work OF landscape, and for this he
employs profile-wheel. Because he
must repeat the same model on dozens Of
plates and other objects, he uses bouncing
paper. On piece of paper the size of the
object to be decorated are traced the out
lines of the design; then all these outlines
are perforated.
This bouncing paper is placed on the
object to be decorated, little bag of char
coal is shaken over the paper and when
removed. the design Is plainly seen. All
these outlines are then covered with the
color and the charcoal erased with piece
OF tur. Then the painter makes the dark
shadows, afterwards the lighter ones.
He must know when he takes his brush
| the degree of intensity that each shadow,
each outline, will have after firing, and
this knowledge can only be obtained by
long, careful study.
In the modern Delft factory nearly all
the pieces are painted in blue. but if espe-
cially ordered the decoration will be made
in brown.
After an object is painted it is passed
through the kwaart. This is translucent
varnlsh made OF potash, salt. mastic and
gold litharge. When taken from the
kwaart the pottery is perfectly white, hav-
ing apparently lost every trace Of decora-
ton. 1t Is then carefully placed in round
cases and so arranged that one piece never
touches another, otherwise IS the kwaart
is heated the objects would adhere and an
uniformed mass be the result. Then comes
the second firing. already described, and
the pottery is ready for use.
The method of fabricating m odern pot
terry Is almost the same as that'used in the
manufacture of the ancient Delft pottery,
but side by side old and new Delft are
very diSSimiar. The chief difference lies
in The clay and in the fact that old Delft
was ordinarily decorated after the enam-
cling process, while modern Delft is deco
H.
In 0lden times ROuen and Delft were
rivals; but Delft pottery showed its SUI
periority In the great variety of form, the
quality of the clay. the wilderness of the
enamel. the abundance OF historical deco
ration, and, above ALL by the geritable
paintings, far above and beyond Industrial
art. And many of these decorations. exc
cuted on fired enamel, would be absolute
ly impossible to reproduce on the pate
crue. or 'biscuit" of modern times.
In olden times, also. in the days when
the prosperity of Delfs was at its height,
the pottery was sent to England. France,
Spain and even to India. And il is re-
corded in the archives of those times that
when the pOtters Of France wished to OBJ
tain their Kings consent for the founding
Of potteres in ROuen, Saint-Omer. Lille,
etc. they always said that their intention
was to make an article equal in artistic
value to that made at Delft.
Notwithstanding its superiority. the
origin of the Deft facturies is unknown.
Some think that the first great factory ex-
listed in 1850, the epoch when porcelain
was brought from China to Europe But,
the period of DelfPs greatest prosperity
was the seventeenth century, and toward
the end of that century there were forty
three manufactures OF pottery in the city.
In 1864 twenty-nine important manufac-
tories were still in existence, but In 1867
one little establishment alone remained,
and there two old maids, named Picard,
descendants of famous artistic potters.
manufactured hdeous yellow plates out of
pine clay.
The modern Delft factory dates only
from 1879, and Messrs. Thooft and Labou-
chere. its proprietors. are not descendants
of famous pOtters.
1t was at the beginning of the seven
teenth century that the Delft artists
formed a corporation called ST. Luke's
Guild. This was composed of painters in
oil or water cOlOrs painters on glass. pot
tiers. makers of tapestries. sculptors. scab-
bard-makeTs, artistic printers. and those
who sold eDgraviDgs and pictures. The guild
had absolute power over all these arts. and
no one had right to fabricate an object
without the authorization of the syndics,
no one had the right te sell a picture, glass
or piece of POTTERY unless he were mem
Der of the corporation,
The pros perity of the potters was in
great measure due to this guild. for the
manufacture was guided by the deans of
the corporation, but there came day when
corporations were abolished. and with
them disappeared st. Luke's Guild.
The prosperity OF Delft pottery in the
seventeenth century was certainly in some
m 6asure also due to the great Intelligence
OF those who directed the manufacture.
Aelbreyt de KeiZes placed the industry in
rank 1t had never before occupied. In
his time japanese pnrcelains were most
costly. and so well did he succeed in his
imitation that unless there be a crack. or
unless one looks at the mark, not one of
the pieces fabricated under his direction
can be distinguished from the VERT able
Japanese.
Those who possessed the most magni-
cent originals were very glad to have the
copies marked AK, mark afterward
appropriated by several OF the Delft
potters. It was Abraham de Rooge who
devoted himself to the perfection OF quail