Figures
Plymouth Porcelain Factory
Category
Ceramics
Date
1768 - 1770
Materials
Hard paste porcelain
Measurements
140 mm (Height)
Place of origin
Plymouth
Order this imageCollection
Saltram, Devon
NT 873163
Caption
William Cookworthy (1705-1780) was a chemist based in Plymouth. In 1746, he made the connection between clay he saw in Cornwall with china clay (kaolin) and china stone (petunse) that the Chinese used to produce porcelain. His use of Cornish china clay in ceramic production was to change the history and the landscape of Cornwall forever. Not only was it used for ceramics but also in other industrial processes to make paper, paint, rubber and even toothpaste. By the 19th century the industry employed thousands of people and Cornish china clay was shipped all over the globe. The environmental impact of this industry is a legacy being addressed today. Many spoil tips left behind by the mining process are now being re-landscaped with heathland vegetation. Some have become sites of Special Scientific Interest, contributing to national biodiversity targets.
Summary
Figure group of two putti with a flower garland on a roccoco base made at the Plymouth porcelain factory 1768-1770. Hard paste porcelain moulded and assembled with hand modelled and applied flowers and decorated in polychrome enamel. The draperies are painted in yellow and orange with flowers and garlands painted in green, yellow and orange. Elements of the open base are picked out in purple.
Full description
The Plymouth Porcelain factory was established by William Cookworthy (1705-1780) in 1768. It was the first to produce so-called ‘hard paste’, or ‘true’ porcelain in the UK. This meant that it combined the materials of china clay (kaolin) and china stone (petunse) to produce a hard-fired body to the same recipe as Chinese porcelain. Many European factories attempted to re-create Chinese porcelain which was famed for its translucency and much in demand. The recipe for porcelain was a closely guarded secret. Only a handful of factories managed to re-create it, the first being Meissen in Germany in 1708. Cookworthy was a chemist based in Plymouth who experimented with the china clay he found in Cornwall. Tests and trial firings went on for over 20 years before he was finally able to establish industrial production in Plymouth in 1768. The factory produced a range of domestic and decorative wares in blue and white and in polychrome enamels. However, the factory was beset with manufacturing problems. Impurities in the materials, challenges with firing the kiln, and potters inexperienced in working with the new material meant that the quality of porcelain was extremely varied. The factory only ran for two years before it transferred to Bristol under the management of Richard Champion (1743-1791) in 1770.
Provenance
Bequeathed to the National Trust in 2003 by Miss Marion Ross Bethal.
Makers and roles
Plymouth Porcelain Factory, manufacturer