When people hear the word "porcelain" they usually think of that heavenly white color that has a hint of translucency. It has been sought after for ages in its many forms. Artists from all over the world have expressed their style in this rich medium through the ages and have produced some of the most sought after porcelain art in the world.
The first porcelain was produced in China around 500 A.D. This is the reason that some porcelain products, especially dinnerware is called "China". As it gained popularity artists from many other regions of the world tried to duplicate the chinese formula over the centuries. This led to the creation of many different types you find today. The word porcelain as it is used today comes from an old Italian word "Porcellana" for the cowrie shell from the ocean which demonstrate the same translucency of the original chinese porcelain.
Porcelain contains a variety of components the major one being kaolin clay. Other components can be alabaster, feldspar, quartz, bone ash, ball clay and glass. There have been many different "recipes" for porcelain since the original left china centuries ago. The three main categories of modern porcelain are: hard paste, soft paste and bone. We will discuss these in individual, future posts.
The forming methods of porcelain remain the same as for traditional earthenware except that porcelain is fired at slightly higher temperatures than other wares so the body can vitrify and become non-porous. Glazing porcelain is usually done for aesthetic purposes and to protect them from dirt and wear.
Glazes are not necessary to make the piece impervious to liquids.
The strength and translucent appearance of porcelain is created by the formation of a mineral called mullite and also from the formation of glass in the body of the porcelain.
Porcelain has been and is still used for many purposes other than art. Today you can find objects made of porcelain in kitchen ware, bathrooms, tiles for decorative purposes and also for building purposes. Some of the most palatial spaces in architectural history were created using porcelain in their constructions. Porcelain materials are also very poor conductors of electricity and is used widely for high voltage connections and in parts of high voltage transformers.
As you can see porcelain has many useful purposes but none are more pleasing to the eye than the work of an experienced potter and sculptor. Perhaps one such as yourself. I thought the following video was a good little tutorial for the less experienced. Enjoy!




