Saltglaze

Legend says a farm girl once was pickling pork in a salt-water brine when the brine boiled over onto a hot earthenware pot. When the pot cooled, it had a bright, hard glaze. It’s a nice story, but we doubt that it really is the origin of saltglaze, which was made by throwing salt into […]

Moss Rose China

The moss rose was a very popular flower during the early nineteenth century. Gardeners prized the fuzzy flower, and because of its popularity it was often pictured on china and glassware. The earliest Moss Rose china was made about 1808. The fad was over by the late 1890s, and the pattern was discontinued. Because the […]

Moriaga

Moriaga (also spelled Moriye, Moriya, or Moriage) style relief on Japanese and other pottery was popular from about 1870 to 1900. This raised overglaze decoration looks like squeezed toothpaste has been applied to the piece. The word “moriaga” means “squeezed.”

Pâte-Sur-Pâte

Pâte-sur-pâte is a special type of decoration. The French word means “paste on paste.” Thin layers of white creamy slip were applied to an unfired clay vase. The slip, or thin clay, formed a raised decoration on the finished piece. Pâte-sur-pâte was developed by Marc Louis Solon, who was trying to copy an early Chinese […]

Abc Or Alphabet Plates

Most ABC plates were made from 1780 to 1860. They were teaching aids for young children who were learning to read. The outside border had the letters of the alphabet with pictures of a hero, famous landmark, Aesop’s fable, or storybook character decorating the center of the plate. The plates were made of glass, tin, […]

Lithophanes

A lithophane is a transparent panel of biscuit porcelain. The design was made by varying the thickness of the panel. When a lithophane is held to the light, the thick parts appear dark and the thinner ones light.The process for making lithophanes was developed in 1827 by Baron de Bourgoing of Paris. They were made […]