The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern Periods Part 8

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 119.--VASE. _Cozzi period._ Height 17 in.]

A beautiful example of this porcelain is represented in Fig. 118, a vase and cover of hard paste painted in lake _camaeu_, heightened by gold, with a continuous landscape; the peculiar border, noticed above, with marks and interlaced bands, is shown on the cover; the edges, k.n.o.b, and flutings are raised and plated with silver or platinum.

After the Vezzi manufactory had ceased to exist we have no doc.u.ments to prove that any efforts were made to introduce the manufacture of porcelain into Venice until December 1757, when a pet.i.tion was presented to the Venetian College by Frederick Hewelcke & Co., who stated that the sale introduced and directed by them in Dresden of Saxon porcelain had been carried on in a very flouris.h.i.+ng manner, but that in consequence of the then existing war (the Seven Years' War, which commenced in 1756), they had been obliged to abandon Saxony and to seek refuge in a foreign country.

On the 18th of March 1758, a decree granted to the Hewelckes the privileges they had requested. It seems that the undertaking proved eventually to be unfortunate, and at the termination of that war, which had brought them to Venice, they returned to their native country.

In 1765, the Senate granted to Giminiano Cozzi, in the Contrada di San Giobbe, Venice, protection and pecuniary a.s.sistance in carrying out a manufacture of porcelain. Cozzi's first efforts were directed towards the imitation of the Oriental ware; and a very large trade was carried on by him for nearly fifty years. He produced statuettes in biscuit, in glazed white porcelain, and coloured groups, vases, &c. The gilding on Cozzi's porcelain is especially fine, the pure gold of the sequin having been used in its decoration.

The manufactory ceased to exist in 1812.

NOVE. The manufacture of porcelain at Nove may be traced back as far as the 12th January 1752, when Pasqual Antonibon brought from Dresden a certain Sigismund Fischer to construct a furnace for making porcelain in the Saxon style.

From this time forward he continued his experiments, and must have made great progress in the art, for in February 1761 he had three furnaces, of which one was for Saxon (_ad uso di Sa.s.sonia_), the other two for French porcelain (_ad uso di Francia_).

In 1762, Antonibon submitted specimens of his porcelain to the Board of Trade, and pet.i.tioned that the patent rights which had been conceded to Hewelcke should be extended to him. At that time, the report states, Antonibon had at Nove a manufactory, rich in buildings, machinery, and tools. The capital embarked in it was estimated at 80,000 ducats, and so great was the sale of his products that he gave employment to 150 men and their families, in addition to 100 people employed in his retail business, carried on at his three shops in Venice. This extensive manufactory was, however, princ.i.p.ally for maiolica.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 120.--JARDINIeRE. _By_ ANTONIBON.]

On the 7th April 1763, a decree was made in his favour; and he appears to have set earnestly to work in his manufacture of porcelain. His compet.i.tor, Hewelcke, shortly after deserted Venice; but he had a more formidable rival in Giminiano Cozzi, who obtained a decree for making porcelain in 1765, in which Pasqual Antonibon's manufacture is noticed, the Senate declaring it to be the duty of the magistrate to make such arrangements as would lead to an amicable understanding between the rival manufacturers and their workmen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 121.--VASE.]

Pasqual Antonibon and his son Giovanni Battista continued the fabrication of porcelain until the 6th February 1781, when they entered into partners.h.i.+p with Signor Parolini. The same manufacture, _con sommo onore dell'arte_, was continued by them until the 6th February 1802, when it was leased to Giovanni Baroni, who produced some very charming pieces both in form and decoration; but in a few years, from being badly conducted, it began to fall off, and by degrees it went to decay and was abandoned. The "Fabbrica Baroni," however, lingered on for more than twenty years.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 122.--VASE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 123.--MILK-POT.]

An example of the Baroni _fabrique_, in porcelain, with female figure handles, and painted with cla.s.sical subjects, is given. (See Fig. 121.)

On 21st May 1825, the old firm of "Pasqual Antonibon and Sons" resumed the works, the actual proprietors being Gio. Batt. Antonibon and his son Francesco; they continued the manufacture of porcelain until 1835, but all their efforts to sustain it were ineffectual; they could not compete with the porcelain manufactories of France and Germany, so they were compelled to abandon the factory.

SPAIN

MADRID--BUEN RETIRO. This manufactory (_Soft Paste_), called "_La China_," was founded by Charles III. in 1759, in the gardens attached to his palace, EL BUEN RETIRO, at Madrid. It was organised by workmen whom he brought with him from Naples. The early ware produced here consequently resembles that of Capo di Monte.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 124.--GROUP.]

The royal manufactory was taken possession of by the French, and the place converted into a fortification, which surrendered in 1812 to the Duke of Wellington. It was subsequently blown up by Lord Hill when the misconduct or perfidy of Ballasteros compelled him to evacuate Madrid.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 125.--VASE. Height 22 in.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 126.--VASE. _With scenes from_ "Don Quixote." Height 17 in.]

Ferdinand VII., on his restoration, recreated _La China_, at La Mancha, once a villa of the Alva family on the Manzanares; but this factory also has ceased to exist, at least as regards artistic merit.

ALCORA. The Comte de Laborde, in his _View of Spain_, in 1808, says, "On ne fait de Porcelaine (en Espagne) qu'a Alcora et a Madrid: celle d'Alcora est tres commune, on en fait tres peu." In confirmation of this a.s.sertion M. Chas. Davillier, on a visit to Spain, saw an engraving of a furnace for baking porcelain with this inscription: "Modele de four pour la porselene naturele, fait par Haly pour M. le Comte d'Aranda Alcora, 29 Juin 1756." The works are also noticed by Don Antonio Ponz, _Viaje de Espana_, in 1793.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 127.--PLAQUE.]

GERMANY

DRESDEN. The celebrated porcelain manufactory at Dresden, or rather at Meissen (in its vicinity), was established by Augustus II., Elector of Saxony, for the manufacture of true porcelain, that is, hard paste. The experiments of Tschirnhaus and Bottcher commenced about 1706, and to the latter is attributed the invention of hard paste. His first attempt was a red ware, like jasper, which was cut and polished by the lapidary, and ornamented by gilding; it was a fine stoneware, having the opacity, grain, and toughness of pottery. Later, Bottcher succeeded in discovering the mode of making true porcelain by the accidental detection of the kaolin necessary for the purpose. In consequence of this important discovery, Augustus II. established the great manufactory at Meissen, of which Bottcher was appointed Director in 1710, and about 1715 he succeeded in making a fine white porcelain. The first decorations upon this ware were very imperfect, consisting of a blue colour under the glaze, in imitation of Nankin blue porcelain. It was under Horoldt's direction, in 1720, that paintings of a superior character, accompanied by gilding, and medallions of Chinese figures were introduced, and magnificent services completed. In 1731, Kandler, a sculptor, superintended the modelling of animals, groups, vases, &c., while other artists painted birds, insects, and copies of paintings princ.i.p.ally of the Flemish school. The best productions emanated from the Dresden manufactory from 1731 to 1756.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 128.--VASE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 129.--SUCRIER, CUP AND SAUCER. _Etched by_ BUSCH.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 130.--CUP AND SAUCER. _Of the Marcolini period, with gros bleu ground._]

Kandler modelled men and animals of the natural size, as well as peac.o.c.ks, herons, pelicans, and other birds. Among the pieces produced about this time by, or under the direction of, Kandler, at Meissen was Count Bruhl's tailor mounted upon a goat, with all the implements of his trade about him. This vain man had a great desire that his likeness should be executed in porcelain at the royal manufactory, and his request was complied with, but probably not in such a way as to gratify his vanity, for not only the tailor but his wife were thus immortalised, _aere perennius_, in porcelain. In 1754 Dietrich became Director, and he was succeeded in 1796 by Marcolini, whose beautiful productions are well known. Porcelain of his period is always distinguished by a star underneath crossed swords. In spite of the precautions taken at Meissen to prevent the secret becoming known--the penalty being death, or perpetual imprisonment in the Castle of Konigstein--some workmen escaped to reveal it elsewhere.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 131.--VASE AND COVER. _Painted with views of public buildings in Dresden._]

The white Meissen porcelain was sometimes ornamented by private persons, especially by a Baron Busch, Canon of Hildesheim, who was the only person possessed of the secret of engraving with a diamond on china.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 132.--BUST OF A GIRL. _White porcelain._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 133.--TEAPOT AND SAUCER. _Pink ground, painted with landscapes and figures._]

BERLIN. This manufactory for _Hard Paste_ was established by Wilhelm Caspar Wegeli in 1751, in the Neue Friedrichsstra.s.se. It was carried on for about ten years, but it never remunerated the originator, and he abandoned it in 1761, when Gottskowski, a celebrated banker, became the purchaser, and removed the works to Leipziger Stra.s.se; a.s.sisted by his capital, they were brought to great perfection.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 134.--GROUP. _In plain white. Wegeli period._ Height 9 in.]

Johann Ernst Gottskowski obtained the secret of porcelain from Ernst Heinrich Richard, who had been employed by Wegeli. Gottskowski did not personally manage the manufactory, but placed it under the management of the Commissioner Grunenger, which led to his employment from the year 1763 to 1786 as the head of the royal porcelain manufactory at Berlin.

In 1763, Gottskowski gave up to the king the whole of his factory of porcelain, receiving 225,000 dollars, and entering into a contract for the sale of his secrets.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 135.--GROUP. _Wegeli period._ Height 6-3/4 in.]

With a view to encouraging the manufacture in his kingdom, the king made presents of superb services of Berlin china to several German princes in the year 1766. When Frederick the Great occupied Dresden, in the seven years' war, he expatriated many of the best modellers and painters to form his royal manufactory; among these were Meyer, Klipsel, and Bohme.

The king also transported great quant.i.ties of the clay and a portion of the collection. Independently of this, and the better to insure employment for the five hundred persons engaged in the processes, he restricted the Jews resident in any part of his dominions from entering into the marriage state, until each man had obtained a certificate from himself, which was only granted on the production of a voucher from the Director of the manufactory that porcelain to a given amount had been purchased, and that there was reasonable cause for granting the indulgence. Of course the Jews more readily disposed of their purchases than the general dealers, and the device was attended with favourable results. To insure the success of the establishment and extend its operations, Frederick embraced every opportunity that was presented; and it was so well supported that in 1776 seven hundred men were constantly employed, and it is said that three thousand pieces of porcelain were made daily.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 136.--MILK-POT, CUP AND SAUCER.]

In 1769 an order was published permitting a lottery company to purchase annually to the amount of 90,000 dollars.

About 1872, the Berlin Royal Porcelain Manufactory was working seven kilns, and employing three hundred workmen; the annual produce amounted on an average to half a million finished articles, value 150,000 Prussian dollars. The superintendence was entrusted to Herr Kolbe (who succeeded Herr Frick in the direction), under whom were Dr. Eisner as chemist, Herr Mantel as master modeller, and Herr Looschen as head painter.

HoCHST, a town situated on the Main, and now in Na.s.sau, belonged to the Electors of Mainz. A manufactory was founded in 1746 by J. C. Goltz and J. F. Clarus, two merchants of Frankfort, a.s.sisted by A. von Lowenfinck, but they were unsuccessful, and called in Ringler, of Vienna, who had escaped from the manufactory. During the Electorate of Johann Friedrich Karl, Archbishop of Mainz, their porcelain ranked among the first in Europe. About 1760 the celebrated modeller Melchior was engaged, and some very elegant statuettes and designs for vases, &c., were produced.

Melchior left the manufactory about 1785, and his successor, Ries, was not so skilful, and all his figures having disproportionate heads, the so-called "thick-head" period commenced. Christian Gottlieb Kuntze was another celebrated worker in this _fabrique_. On the invasion of the French under General Custine in 1794, all the materials were sold by auction.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 137.--LAMP-STAND.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 138.--TRAY AND SUCRIER.]