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POrcelaine, Fayence, China, or fine Earthen∣Ware, is enamel'd with our White Stuff, which we have already prescribed for Metals; and its Painting the same, and of such Colours as we have proposed for Enamels in the foregoing Book, and this obliges us to discourse thereof in this our eight Book.
The Custom of enameling on Ware, is of greater Antiquity than that on Metals, for in the time of Porcenna, who generously undertook the Restau∣ration of Tarquin to the Roman Government in the Consulate of Valer. Publicola and Horat. Pulvilius Ann. Mund. 3444, five hundred and four Years before the coming of Jesus Christ, or thereabouts, the practice of enameling on Were was used in the Estates of that Prince; and what gives us very good reason to be∣lieve this is the Name Porcelaine, which has an Affi∣nity to Porcenna, tho altered by the corruption of Time, so it is also called fayence from Fayence in the Dutchy of Vrbin, where in the Time of Michael Ange, and Raphael Vrbain, this Art was practised.
And as the Secrets of Nature are daily more and more discovered, so has time employed the Invention of Man to improve this, and make it more excellent, not only condescending to enameling, but proceed∣ing also to Painting and pourtraying thereon several Curiosities, to which at length is added the Orna∣ments of Gilding.
These Pieces of Ware are of a very general use o∣ver all the World, as for Ornaments over Chimney∣pieces, on Cabinets and Tables, or Boards. The choicest come in us from China, and next to those are done at St. Clowd and Rouen; but there are very good made in Holland, at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Italy, and several other places in France.
The painting and enameling on these, is what we are properly obliged to take notice of in our Art; however we shall slightly touch upon the Compositi∣on and Molding the Ware, and for this we will pre∣scribe fine and delicate Methods sufficient enough to answer the Satisfaction of such as employ themselves in this Art, and of those Persons whose Curiosity leads them to enquire after things, whereof they are not already informed.
MUST be large, with an Opening proportioned to the Vessel you are to place therein; of these there are several sorts, but the most commodious must be made as follows.
You may shape this Furnace round or square, but the square is best, because of the Opening; it must be made of good Brick and such Stuff as can mostly en∣dure the Fire, of what bigness you please, with three Divisions; the lowest for the Ashes must be a Foot high, that the Air may be communicated through its Opening to the Fire; the middle Story is for the Fire, and must be underlaid with a very good Grate to se∣parate it from the under Story, with an Opening for the Fuel, and be vaulted above about a Foot in heighth: According to the Size of your Furnace this Vault must be made like that of an Oven, and have an Hole in the middle of the same shape as the Furnace, round or square, and proportioned to its bigness, through which the Flame may transmit it self to the uppermost Story, where the Vessels are put to bake in; this last Story is to be at least two Foot high, and its Opening fourteen or fifteen Inches, to put and draw the Vessels easily in and out; the top must be vaulted too with such a round or square hole, and over that a Funnel, for the conveniency of the Flame and Smoak which it draws out.
All the Opening, especially the two uppermost, must be of strong Brick, or Crucible Earth, or ra∣ther of Iron, well luted within side, which must shut and open easily, and be very exact and sit, that the
Fire may not suck in any cold Air, which might break the Vessels.
This Furnace will serve also for many other uses, as to Melt, Reverberate, Calcine, Cement, and seve∣ral sorts of Works in the Laboratory of Chimistry; because in it all the degrees of Fire may be found by the help of the lower Opening, and the Funnel of the Chimney.
You may else for Baking your China, make use of the Furnace hereafter described in Chap. 202. where we discourse of Painting on Glass, putting thereinto your Vessel of Crucible-Earth for Baking the Ware in, and then cover'd over with a vaulted Coverlid, with a hole at top to let out the Flame and Smoak of the Reverberatory Fire; for this reason there will be no occasion in this sort of Furnace for any other Open∣ing, because the Baking Vessels with your Ware, are put in a top before the Coverlid is laid on, and so the Fire circulates about it, and it becomes very Red, whereby the China-Ware is Baked, as is done in Ba∣king of Pipes.
THE Composition for this must be very fine, be∣cause of the Ware, and not such as is used for ordinary Vessels, we will therefore prescribe the Manner of making it, to prevent the unsuccessful Attempts of such as may be ignorant.
For this you must take of Shells of every sort which are White and Transparent, grind them well on a Marble, then searce and reduce them to an im∣palpable Powder.
To make your Paste of this Powder, first dissolve an Ounce of very white Gum-Arabick in a Pail of Water; when 'tis well dissolved and mixt with the Water, dissolve therein about a quarter as much Quick-lime as your Powder weighs, then stir and mix it very well, and afterwards put in the Powder and stir all together, and knead it as they do Mortar; of this Stuff form your Vessels according to the diffe∣rent sorts you desire, let them half dry, or more, in the Air, before you polish them with your smooth Instrument of Copper, or Iron for that purpose, and so leave 'em until they dry throughly: Being very well smoothed and dried, glaze them over with your White Enamel, prepared as we'll direct in the next Chapter, and so set them in the Furnace to Bake and finish, where having kept them a convenient time, let the Fire go out of its self: When the Furnace is cold, take 'em out and paint them and put them in a∣gain to Bake a second time, observing what directi∣ons we have already given concerning these Matters, and when the Fire is gone out, and the Furnace cold, you have the Ware in perfection ready to take out for use.
You may make your China-Ware also of pure Earth; let it not be red tho, but White or Gray; you may try the sufficiency of it after 'tis prepared, by Baking some beforehand, and when it comes out of the Fur∣nace sound and uncracked, 'tis good and fit for your purpose.
The Preparation consists in drying it well, and re∣ducing it to a very fine Powder; then put it into fair Water, wherein has been already dissolved a little Gum-Arabick; but most of those that make it, employ only Water without Gum; after this you may make your Dishes, set 'em to dry, Polish, Dry, Glaze, Bake, Paint, and finish them as before; all which,
those who work at them know better than I can ex∣press it.
FOR this take of our Milk-white Enamel Chap. 149. grind it very fine, as Painters do their Colours; put the Powder afterwards into a Glass-Cucurbit, pouring some Aqua-fortis thereon; let it digest a lit∣tle to cleanse off its Impurities, and become fine and transparent; then pour off the Aqua-fortis, washing the Powder in Water over and over again, grind it afterwards with a little Gum-Water on your Mar∣ble, and so glaze the Vessels with it within and with∣out, dry them in the Air, and Bake them as before in the Furnace.
Or you may heat the Vessels to a Redness in the Furnace, and melt the Enamel; when it is in a perfect Fusion, dip the smaller Vessels therein, and pour of it on the larger, for they will take no more on them than will serve them, set them by turns in the Fur∣nace, stopping it very well to avoid the Air: Bake, cool your Furnace, and finish them as before, then take out the Dishes, Paint and Bake them over again, observing all our former Directions.
THIS is done as the Enamel discoursed of in Chap. 192. but much more easily, the Figures being only just dasht over in comparison to them; however you must grind your Colours with Oyl of Spike on the Marble, as we have said already, and so paint on the Dishes Story, Landscape, or any other Fancy, but you must never expect to have them thereon so compleat and handsome, as those painted on the enamel'd Plates, because the former are fi∣nisht standing, and so enlarge in length or breadth, whereas the other are done on flats, and lying; be∣sides the Dishes are for the most part round, and not so easily painted; for if they cou'd be as neatly done as the Enamel, they would be excessive dear.
YOU must first grind some Shade-Earth on a Marble, with Linseed-Oyl, prepared as shall be shewn in Chap. 200. with which trace out your Fi∣gures, which must be two whole Days a drying; af∣ter this apply very thin Leaf-Gold, and with a sharp Graver, shape the Figures, and then put the Dishes in an Oven, as soon as the Batch of Bread is drawn out, let the Heat be no greater than one's Hand may endure, else the Vessels would crack; leave them in
it for two or three Hours or more, if the Oven be not too hot; you may else make use of our own Furnace, by giving it the same moderate degree of heat, as experienced Persons are well acquainted with.
THIS is much more handsome and lively, besides that it cannot be effaced; you may with it gild Vessels entirely, or border, or give them any lustre you think convenient for Ornament, and it will look as well as fine Gold.
You must first wet over the Places you would gild with Gum-Water lightly, then apply your Leaves, and so let them dry, this is enough for plain Gilding; but if you would have it carved, or figured, you must make use of a Steel-Graver, and afterwards bath the Gold with Water, wherein Borax has been dissolved, powdering it in the mean time with Crystaline Powder, or Milk-white Enamel reduced to a very fine Powder; then set the Dish on a Reverberatory Fire to melt and be polisht; thus you'll have as fine a piece of Ware as can be.
IT is but just we should discharge our Promise of prescribing this Preparation.
Take a Paris Pint of Linseed-Oyl in an Earthen Pot which will hold about two Paris Pints, put this on a Fire, and when it begins to boil throw in twice the bigness of a small Egg of Gum-Arabick pulveri∣zed, stir all well until it be dissolved, then put in an Onion of an ordinary size, and the like weight of Garlick cut small; when the Oyl boils well, and swells up by the force of the good Fire which must be underneath, pour it out into another such Pot, and so in and out of each Pot to the other until all be very well mixed; then put it on the Fire again, ad∣ding half an Egg-shell of Powder of Mastick, and stir it very well; as soon as it boils again, it will foam and have a great Froth which must be scummed off, and then take it off the Fire and brew the Ingre∣dients together with the two Pots as before, continue to do thus with it, or stir it on the Fire until it rise no more.
This done, take a very dry Toast of White Bead to take off the Grease (the Oyl still boiling) and when you put in the Toast, you must at the same time put in some Pin-Dust; stir all well together and let it stand for twenty four Hours afterwards; strain the Oyl through a Linen-cloth, in which is some very fine Sand, the better to filtrate it, and take off the Grease, and so you'll have it pure and clear, which Bottle up for your Use.
Or you may (both ways being good enough) first mix with the Oyl two Ounces of Gold Litharge pul∣verized, adding the Gum-Arabick as soon as it be∣gins to boil, and to purifie it let it filter through a Linen-cloth full of Sand, while it's hot, into a Glass-Bottle, wherein is already half an Ounce of fine Camphire Powder, shaking the Bottle very well un∣til the Oyl be cold; afterwards lay it in the Sun for fifteen Days, and it will be entirely purged, and the longer 'tis kept will be the better.
This is all we have to say at present about China-Ware, until we have further enlarged our Know∣ledge in the Matter, which we have not much stu∣dy'd, because we did not intend to treat of it; how∣ever we afterwards thought it incumbent on us so to discourse thereof as an Art dependant on ours; and we hope the Reader will take this in good part, until we may give him something more at large.