. Staffordshire pottery and its history . hethrowers wheel for their shapes, no improvementin whiteness of ware, or in the salt glaze, wouldhave availed much to increase the demand forearthenware. The development of the various useof moulds became of the greatest importance. Thesix workmen required at such a potworks, as isshown on the 1710 list, would be—slipmaker,thrower, turner, stouker, to put on handles andspouts, fireman and warehouseman. A good work-man, such as the master, could throw, turn andstouk. But the fresh developments of the salt-glazedstoneware arising from the use of moulds
. Staffordshire pottery and its history . hethrowers wheel for their shapes, no improvementin whiteness of ware, or in the salt glaze, wouldhave availed much to increase the demand forearthenware. The development of the various useof moulds became of the greatest importance. Thesix workmen required at such a potworks, as isshown on the 1710 list, would be—slipmaker,thrower, turner, stouker, to put on handles andspouts, fireman and warehouseman. A good work-man, such as the master, could throw, turn andstouk. But the fresh developments of the salt-glazedstoneware arising from the use of moulds conver-ted potting into a specialized industry. We have seen that Elers used metal seals to press his ornamental spriggs on to his teapots. Such metal moulds could only be used for small articles or ornaments, for the mould stuck to the clay, and had to be carefully oiled. Both for the sprigging on of ornaments, and for the shaping of ware, a new form of mould was wanted. At first the alabaster of Derbyshire supplied the want. It was60. THE SALT-GLAZE POTTERS carved into shaped blocks, and from the blockswere made pitcher, or porous clay moulds,which could be replaced when worn out from theblocks, and could be used in various ways for themanufacture of ware: for sprigging, pressing, or casting. Then—a last step—about 1745, RalphDaniel, of Cobridge, brought from France thesecret of plaster of Paris moulds which replacedboth pitcher and alabaster.* Under competition, the Staffordshire potterswere getting critical. The white salt-glazed warewas competing with Chinese porcelain, and hadto be made as thin and light and transparent aspossible. The ware made by pressing the clay intothe moulds sufficed for plates, basins and any lead-glazed ware, but it came out much too heavy forcomplicated shapes such as sauce-boats, teapotsand vases, etc. To get these shapes Elers wouldhave had them thrown and turned down in thelathe: they would all have been round. The pro-cess known as cast
Size: 1358px × 1840px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectwedgwoo, bookyear1913
