HARD PASTE PORCELAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23107, 5 February 1937, Page 14

HARD PASTE PORCELAIN

USED FOR CERAMICS WITH EXCELLENT RESULTS < From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, Jan. 9. You have noticed many times the insulators on telegraph and power line poles? They are made of hard paste porcelain and are classified technically as “electrical porcelain accessories.” Havq, you ever though!, that this hard paste might be used for ceramics? An English firm has, and the results are excellent, for in addition to the fine quality glaze and delicate colourings, the pottery has another characteristic of a more utilitarian nature. It is difficult, but not impossible, to break. This week at the Brygos Gallery, in New Bond street, which holds monthly exhibitions of articles which have been “ fired,” or baked at high temperatures, the high standard of the pottery that can be produced with hard paste porcelain was shewn. Incidentally, the exhibition marked an interesting point in the history of English ceramics, since, with the exception of tentative efforts of William Cookworthy at Plymouth (1768-1770) and later at Bristol (1770-1781) with Richard Champion, hard paste porcelain has never been developed in England. British pottery manufacturers have been wholly occupied in perfecting their earthenware and more exquisite “ English Bone China,” a material with many of the fine qualities of porcelain. Another interesting point is that the work exhibited has sprung from the technical excellence of purely functional pottery. Technical porcelain must of necessity be perfect in body and glaze, for it_ has to withstand the severest climatic conditions, varying from tropical heat to arctic cold. Technical porcelain is the produce of modern methods of ceramic research, and for strength and durability it has to stand tests which Chinese porcelain was never called upon to endure. From the purely aesthetic point of view the material has great possibilities. At present it is in the experimental stage, but it is likely that it may carry English pottery to a high place in the ceramic art. Many of these modern glazes have the quality and the colour of early Chinese pottery. The majority of them are under perfect control, but there are some in which the “fire” provided unexpected results, which are. nevertheless, not unpleasant.