The History of Fine Bone China
Bone china is porcelain made of bone ash, minerals and clay. This combination of materials creates a fine china that has been around for centuries and is often found in collections that include everything from dishes to vases. Does this Spark an idea?
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First Appearance of Bone China
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Bone china was developed by Thomas Frye in his East London porcelain factory in 1748. His factory was located close to a cattle slaughterhouse, giving him access to the bone material he used in the development of his product. Thomas Frye used about 45 percent bone ash in his porcelain and coined the term "fine porcelain."
Further Development of Bone China
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Although Frye's bone china was of high quality and rivaled the imported china from all over Europe, including China, his factory was not successful enough to continue operation. Josiah Spode continued developing Frye's formula for bone china between 1789 and 1793. His formula, which consisted of 6 parts bone ash, 4 parts china stone, and 3.5 parts clay found popularity among English pottery manufacturers and was widely distributed.
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Production of Bone China
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Bone china is produced much like porcelain. Because of its lower plasticity, however, more care is required in its production than with other types of porcelain production. The china stone is added to give the unfired body the plasticity it needs to allow for shaping of the material. The process and materials are typically more expensive, thus the reason for the expense of bone china.
Collecting Bone China
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English bone china is highly collectible and often begins with pieces passed through generations. While new fine porcelain can be purchased and added to collections, many avid collectors go to flea markets and yard sales looking for treasured finds to add to their collections. Bone china can often be identified by its translucency when held up to light.
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References
- Photo Credit china porcelain image by araraadt from Fotolia.com
