Table of contents:

Biscuit porcelain: characteristics, features, application. Types of porcelain
Biscuit porcelain: characteristics, features, application. Types of porcelain
Anonim

Porcelain is the same type of ceramic that is both white and elegant and durable at the same time. This material has several varieties with their own characteristics - hard, soft, bone and biscuit. We will talk about the latter in more detail.

Biscuit porcelain in narrow and wide sense

This type of porcelain, like no other, can convey the silkiness, velvety and warmth of human skin. Its structure has nothing to do with dessert - the word "biscuit" is formed from "bis", which means "two", "double". This is due to the peculiarities of its firing.

biscuit porcelain
biscuit porcelain

In the narrow sense, a biscuit is not glazed, fired once (which is more typical for modern technologies) or twice a material. How to distinguish biscuit porcelain? It is distinguished by a snow-white, rough, matte surface, which can even be confused with high-quality marbles. There is nothing to say about the technique of painting biscuit porcelain - the noble material is beautiful even without applying paint or glaze.

In a broader sense, a biscuit canname any ceramic product that has passed only through the primary (otherwise - biscuit) firing, the characteristic temperature of which is 800-1000 ° C. The result is a strong, heavy, but porous material. Further, repeated and even repeated firing, as well as processing with slip or glaze, can be carried out. But, as we have already mentioned, bisque porcelain figurines most often remain unglazed.

Biscuit history

France should be called the birthplace of this noble porcelain. The fame of the material was brought by the works of the artist Boucher, which also made it possible to form a special style of French plastic art. In the second half of the 18th century, the ceramics of workshops from the city of Sevres began to attract attention, working with both glazed and biscuit porcelain. These glorious works were distinguished by a floral motif - wreaths, bouquets, garlands, baskets. The works could deservedly be considered wonderful examples of art.

biscuit porcelain figurines
biscuit porcelain figurines

In the era of classicism, biscuit porcelain products became an integral part of the interior of noble houses - furniture decor, crockery, sculptures and sculptural compositions.

Biscuit application

Because of the porous structure, the biscuit is not used in the manufacture of dishes - the material absorbs water. However, he is very good at the following:

  • This type of tinted porcelain is used to make the faces and bodies of biscuit dolls, as well as decorative masks.
  • It is a popular material for sculpting sculptures, figurines, ornaments, elementsdecor - everything that does not need protection of the biscuit surface.
how to distinguish biscuit porcelain
how to distinguish biscuit porcelain

Other types of porcelain

Let's take a brief look at other types of porcelain:

  • Bone. The formula for this variety of soft porcelain was discovered in England by D. Spoud in the 18th century. Its unusual feature is that 60% of the material consists of the ashes of burnt cow bones, hip bones are most valued here. They do not give a yellowish tint, like horses, and make melting easier. Its main advantage is its extraordinary subtlety, reaching transparency.
  • Soft. Other names - artificial, artistic, frit. It became known in the 16th century - this is the so-called Medici porcelain. The standard formula was later invented in France in 1673. Its composition is dominated by frit - quartz, vitreous substances, feldspar. Translucency and a pleasant creamy color gives alabaster, flint, sea s alt, s altpeter. Soft porcelain retains heat longer, but at the same time it is distinguished by porosity, low strength, even fragility.
  • Solid. Also known as "real". We owe its discovery to the German manufactory Meissen. Distinguishes such porcelain great strength, density, resistance to high temperatures and chemical attack. Glaze looks very good on hard porcelain - it is thin and shiny here. Since this coating consists of the same substances, but in a different content, as the material itself, it is homogeneous and adheres tightly to it. Why glaze from solidPorcelain does not flake at all. Moreover, it will be difficult even to repulse it from this material. Biscuit, by the way, is a kind of this group, only unglazed.
biscuit porcelain painting technique
biscuit porcelain painting technique

Biscuit looks the most natural, warmest of all types of porcelain. That is why it is so perfect for sculptural compositions, porcelain masks and dolls.

Recommended: