Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-07-11
IN A CHINA SHOP.
How tho Work Is Dose In woroestsr,
England.


England.
Close beside Worcester cathedral are
the ugly workshops and tall chimneys
OF the Royal porcelain works. When
We watch the thrower molding on his
magic wheel the plastic clay we are
filled with wonder at his skill and ask
ourselves whence came the clay which
takes so readily any form the potter
Wills, says an English paper. The
mint powders found upon the plains
OF Brittany in France, feldspar from
Cornwall and Sweden, bones from
America, besides other things, all pay
tribute. These unlikely constituents
are calcined and then ground exceed
1ngly fine in mills. The grinding takes
from twelve hours to six days. 1t is
sight worth seeing, those powerful
mills racing round the deep trough
lmade out of stone from Derbyshire)
weighted with heavy blocks, churning
each material, for each is ground separ-
ately, into thick white cream. When
iinlshed the liquids are strained through
fne hair sieves and all particles of iron
Withdrawn by means of magnets. The
ulHerent ingredients are then mixed to-
gether in proper proportions and
kneaded into the required consistency
and then the clay is ready for the
thrower. The art Of molding clay has
become much more exact since the en-
ployment of plaster Of paris molds. AT
ter the thrower, with the help of his
wheel, has roughly shaped the clay
info what ic tar aI 10 ''linino o' 1T is
taken off the wheel and put into
plaster of paris cast, which in turn Is
placed upon the whirling wheel, and the
lining" is then deftly nodded to the
exact shape. AS plaster of paris ao-
serbs moisture quickly the lining is
soon firm enough to be handled. 1t is
then turned" like ordinary wood or
metal and has handles, which have
been nodded in plaster of paris, fixed
by the same clay. The porcelain is
then ready to be baked For this it is
packed in fireproof baking dishes cali
ed "seggars" and supported on every
side by powdered calcined flint. These
seggars are made to fit exactly one
upon the other, although they are of
different sizes and depths, and they are
arranged in columns side by side in the
oven. This oven is then bricked up and
eight fires are lighted and kept burning
for forty-eight hours, night and day.
Most of the china is glazed, an opera
tion requiring care and skill. The ar
ticles are bathed in the liquid glaze-a
muddy-looking broth-and a greater
part of the superfuous glaze shaken off.
But it is impossible to free them per-
fectly, besides the fingers leave marks
which have to be removed after the
J glaze has been dried in a hot room.
Women and girls are employed for
this work. The ivory glaze is delicate
salmon pink before it is baked, the
white dark drab. After it is glazed
the pottery, for the second time, is
| packed in seggars and baked After
this the colored china is painted and
baked again. The gold is also baked in.
Few people know that gilt on China
/ is the purest gold that can be bought.
1t is ground with mercury and turpen-
tine into black-looking paint and ap-
| piled with fine camels hair pencil.
Boys are trained for this work from IA
years of age, it being nearly impossible
for older people to acquire the accuracy
of eye and hand necessary. 1t is a
great drawback to the production of
artistic pottery that the coloring is
| totally different in the paint to the
| result after burning. For insance, gold
| paint is black before and dull gold
afterwards; the brightness is produced
by polishing it with an agate. Other
colors are obtained from metallic OK
ides; iron gives red, cobalt, blue, etc.