Although there were early attempts to reproduce Chinese porcelain (which first appeared in Europe near the 14th century), soft-paste porcelain was developed in the early part of the 18th century. European potters tried to achieve the quality of Chinese hard-paste porcelain, but they didn't have the same materials that were readily available in China. The mixture of clay and glass, which the Europeans initially used, required a firing at lower temperatures (so that it wouldn't melt), and therefore the consistency was "softer," and more porous. Soft paste porcelain has a creamy quality to it (as opposed to the pure white color of Chinese porcelain), and if there's a convenient chip somewhere, you will see a grainy interior covered with a glassy glaze.
1 comment:
OK, this is the kinda information I need. Wow. Awesome job, and I never even heard of sot paste porcelain. I have been doing this only 10 year, but china is my main product. You would think somewhere along the line, I would have come into contact with this term. Very interesting information. Thank you so much.
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