English and European Fine Porcelain

Very recent additions are to be found in: Berlin, KPM, Schomburg & Sohne, C M Hutschenreuther, The Richard Wehsner Studio, Coalport, Copeland, Daniel, Derby, Hammersley, Minton, Spode, Ridgway, Royal Doulton & Royal Worcester.

European porcelain manufacturing began early in the 18th century, ( 1700 - 1710 ), soon after seeing the first imports of fine white porcelain from China, it became an obsession with many in Europe and Britian to create porcelain of this quality, even better it.

By the middle of the 18th century a fine bright white, hard porcelain, was achieved, and used by the many manufacturers throughout Europe, to became known as hard paste porcelain. In Britian an equivalent creation was being used over this same period, having a softer warmer appearance, not as bright or hard, to become universally known as soft paste porcelain.

Before 1800 came the creation of Europes major manufacturing centres, supported by their Sovereign rulers, Berlin, Meissen in Saxony and Vienna, in France, Paris ,Sevres and Limoges. their creative shapes and decoration at first taking the lead over there English counterparts, who were all private company's, Derby, Chelsea, Caughly, Worcester, and Coalport, who mainly manufactured with soft paste porcelain, an exception, Josiah Wedgwood who produced with his own materials, unique services,vases and decorative pots that still today, stand the test of time, there were many more firms on either side, from these few named here, who manufactured for many decades and centuries.

Europes first major influence of colours and decoration came from viewing those first pieces from China and carried over to this day, in the following decades as the demand grew on both sides,quality porcelain manufacturers in there dozens appeared, more than equal to there predecessors, although forms of plagiarism prevailed, in Europe the early taste for decoration,started with flowers, but soon changed to copies of museum masterpieces, the female form to architectural views,the majority of these artistic masterpieces were all on hard paste porcelain.

In Britian , floral bouquets, birds, cattle and views of the countryside prevailed, I do not recollect ever seeing the femine form or features on a piece of 18th or 19th century porcelain.

For some years prior to 1870 , R.H.Binns who owned the Worcester factory, admired and collected Japanese china, in 1872 he suggested to his new modeller James Hadley, he should produce a series of porcelain with a Japanese influence, to be Worcesters feature at the 1873 exhibition in Vienna, they caused a sensation in Europe,and to the Japanese, ( one of these 1872 Worcester pieces is in this collection ) this marked a major moment and a new change in decoration, the Japanese influence had arrived!

the 1890s saw the emergence of another distinct, revered design period "art nouveau" having intricate linear designs and flowing curves, at first in Germany, exemplified in the quality manufacturing of Rosenthal and Hutschenreuther, an abrupt end came in 1914 with the 1st World War. 1918 marked the final days of treasured single cabinet pieces and vast elaborate services.

The 1920 -1939, in Paris, a false flamboyancy, christened, "art decco", wedged between Two World Wars, and a third major jolt, in the middle of all this, the Wall Street crash, and severe austerity, previously the everday use of gold and platinum, now changed to silver and tin, the beauty of those noveau linear curves, became severe geometric angles, less expensive decoration, bright vivid colours and Clarice Cliff had arrived, contrasted by the delicate subtlety of Shelly and Susie Cooper.

the 2nd World War followed by grief,1945 - 2010 for collectables and no defined direction, no new images to be labelled as an "era", now approaching 2010, perhaps "the Art Mug era" will at last be recognized!

With another world financial crisis in 2008 - 9, Britain and most of Europes household names for porcelain manufacturing, collapsed, those production designs who manufactured in soft and hard paste, after three centuries returned to be made in China and the Far East, "proof of what goes around comes around"! it does take the end of an era ,to start a new one, we shall see.

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