Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876

In Short

This work is a comprehensive survey of the history and technical development of pottery and porcelain, tracing the craft from ancient Greek vases through the rise of Italian maiolica and the technical breakthroughs of the French and German manufactories. Written for the nineteenth-century collector, it bridges the gap between historical scholarship and the emerging American interest in decorative arts. It has remained a vital reference for its detailed accounts of international manufacturing centers, its focus on technical methods, and its role as a snapshot of the era's growing obsession with art-collecting.

The Story

The narrative begins with the premise that the study of ceramics is a "liberal education," one that links the history of human society—its wants, inventions, and aesthetic growths—to the objects left behind in tombs and palaces. The account opens by grounding the craft in the ancient world, particularly in the Greek vase, which is presented as a pinnacle of form. The text shifts through the ages, exploring how unglazed clay evolved into the sophisticated, enameled surfaces of later centuries. It emphasizes that this progression was not merely a matter of utility but a reflection of the intellectual and social forces at play, such as the Renaissance in Italy or the intense, almost desperate search for the secret of porcelain in Central Europe.

Moving into the medieval and early modern periods, the story highlights the discovery of tin-glazes and the subsequent explosion of interest among dukes, priests, and artists. The Italian "botegas" serve as a primary example of how art and commerce intertwined during this period of cultural rebirth. The text then transitions to the French faience and the specific industrial developments in England, documenting how the transition from wooden trenchers to delicate dinner services marked a shift in domestic life.

A significant portion of the work is dedicated to the arrival of porcelain from the East, providing a glimpse into the sophisticated techniques used in China for centuries. This serves as the catalyst for the European struggle to replicate the material, a quest driven by alchemists and monarchs alike. The story details the emergence of famous factories like Meissen, Sèvres, and those in Denmark and Sweden, characterizing these enterprises as high-stakes experiments supported by royal patronage. The narrative reaches its resolution at the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876, where the author views the culmination of these centuries of development. By highlighting the contributions of contemporary firms like Doulton—and even individual artists like the Barlow sisters—the author frames the history of pottery not as a closed book of antiquities, but as a living, evolving tradition that has finally taken root in the United States.

How It Unfolds

The dawn of form The journey begins with the ancient unglazed vessels of the Homeric period and the tombs of Germany, establishing the vase as a fundamental expression of human civilization. The text examines how these early pieces reflect the daily lives, social hierarchies, and domestic realities of the Greeks.

The Italian awakening The focus shifts to the Renaissance, where the sudden, fervent development of tin-glazed maiolica transforms pottery from basic earthen-ware into a medium for high art. Figures like Luca della Robbia represent the period’s drive to combine sculptural excellence with vibrant color and texture.

Industrial ripples in France and England The narrative tracks the proliferation of faience factories in France and the gradual, functional adoption of glazed wares in England. It documents the transition from wood and leather vessels to the refined, salt-glazed stoneware and early pottery of the Staffordshire region.

The secret of the East The book investigates the mystery of Chinese porcelain, relying on accounts from Jesuit missionaries to explain the use of kaolin and petuntse. It details how these exotic, highly coveted goods traveled through trade routes to Europe, setting the stage for centuries of imitation.

The European experiment The final movement covers the frantic establishment of porcelain works across Central Europe and France, tracing the successes and failures of factories like Dresden and Sèvres. It concludes with an assessment of the modern state of the art as displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial, affirming the enduring relevance of the craft.

The People

The book focuses on the "strong and able men" who pushed the boundaries of their craft. Luca della Robbia, a sculptor who successfully integrated ceramic glazes into Renaissance art, is framed as a figure of high creative force. Augustus II of Saxony, along with his alchemists Böttger and Tschirnhaus, emerges as a central, driven figure whose pursuit of the "secret" of porcelain mirrors the era's obsession with alchemy and material transformation.

The author also highlights the role of figures like Josiah Wedgwood and the Messrs. Doulton, whose industrial and artistic innovations helped bridge the gap between historical rarity and modern production. Aspasia is mentioned as an intellectual touchstone, representing the culture in which the finest Greek vases were appreciated, while the Barlow sisters are celebrated as modern practitioners who "solved the woman question" by achieving professional acclaim for their etchings in clay. These individuals are presented not just as makers, but as catalysts for a broader cultural shift, where the act of collecting and creating pottery becomes a legitimate and respected pursuit for the cultivated mind.

In Its Own Voice

"The Greek vase has come to be a synonym for beauty of form."

The author introduces the ancient vase as a standard of aesthetic perfection against which all subsequent ceramic work should be measured.

"Busy men who are making railways and coal-pits, under the pleasing illusion that they are developing the country more than the rest of us, are apt to think a man with any hobby except that of making money is wasting his time."

The author defends the value of the collector's life against the utilitarian pressures of nineteenth-century American industrialism.

What It's Really About

The text argues that pottery is the most reliable index of a civilization’s cultural maturity. It suggests that the history of ceramics is, in essence, the history of human progress, shifting from the need to contain goods to the desire to communicate beauty. Underlying this is a tension between the "useful" and the "ornamental." The author attempts to reconcile the American spirit of industrial development with the European tradition of aesthetic refinement, arguing that collecting is not an idle pastime but a necessary engagement with the history of human ingenuity. It poses the question: how can a society that prioritizes money and infrastructure find space for the "perennial occupation" of studying the delicate, fragile vessels of the past?

Why Read It Today

Readers with a penchant for history, particularly those who enjoy the "detective work" of identifying marks and tracing the lineage of objects, will find this a rewarding, if demanding, read. It serves as a time capsule, capturing the Victorian-era enthusiasm for international exhibitions and the earnest, if sometimes paternalistic, tone of the period’s scholarship. You will feel the author’s genuine affection for his subject; he writes with a warmth that makes the technical details of glazes and pastes feel like a personal invitation to join a community of enthusiasts.

However, one must be prepared for the dense, encyclopedic lists and the occasional biases inherent in nineteenth-century writing—particularly regarding gender roles and social classes. The book does not offer modern, streamlined analysis; it is a sprawling, thorough, and sometimes repetitive work that reflects the exhaustive collecting habits of its time. It is best read slowly, perhaps while looking at a few pieces of pottery yourself. What stays with you is the author's insistence that even a simple pharmacy pot can tell a story of human reconciliation or political history, transforming a mundane object into a vessel for the collective memory of the human race.