» erain ‘FROM the humble . _ terra-cotta flowerpot to A the-dainty creations of - Wedgwood, Limoges i: Meissen, . the ceramics family is large and prolific. : : _.We know the offspring as ~ earthenware, stoneware, faience, pottery, delftware, china; bone china, porcelain and by 2 variety. of other q names. All family members ~ ung Joo fin fee. have one,thing in‘common: “when handled with butter Bers, thiey tend td chip or shatte: They also share a fascinat- 1g: history of intrigue and industrial espionage that makes today's business world downright ethical. Just in case you are as mfused as I was about the istinctions between dif- es of ceramics, here ceramics family has three 1 branches: earthenware, china and porcelain. a Earthenware is porous and- Opaque — it may be tan-col- red, red, or brown, depend- inthe raw material. It is firedat relatively low temper- “atures and is more susceptible to’ breakage and chipping than Ching and porcelain ‘Also known as pottery, majolica, faience and delft- ware, earthenware can be - “ glazed and painted, or. .- azed. Its main character- - “istic? It has been around as. . long . Queen’s ware, Staffordshire - or bone china (when bone - ash’ has been added to the formula). China is opaque and harder than earthenware, : ~ but:does not have the deli- - cate translucency and hard- f porcelain. To add to - the confusion, the terms a and porcelain are often interchangeably since lain originated in China. +, Porcelain is produced from decayed granite (kaolin) and ‘decayed feldspathic rock. The. ingredients vitrify at high - temperatures and produce clear white porcelain which . transmits light. The entan- gled history of porcelain Pra ted ts NEARK: aan The List... ‘Estate Jewellery, Lalique, Moorcroft, Waterford Crystal, os Estate Birk’s Flatware, Hummels. eV. Van 30M «= ~ Royal Doulton Figurines, Blue Mikado, Baccarat goes On... open 7 days a week N. Nien 1637 Lonsdale Ave, : raat Die. = Mystery and amyths part o ic pas started in China well over 2,000 years ago. Ta the western world, it goes back some 700 years when Marco Polo made his famous voyage to the east; one could call it the first trade mission to China. When he returned 26 vears after his departure from Venice, he : brought with him many exot- ic and unusual treasures. Among them was porce- lain, a type of ceramic which had occasionally been seen, but was considered so luxuri- ous that it was displayed in palaces and used very rarely. Hence the elaborate china cabinets which were later designed especially to display the priceless goods. More ordinary folk used cupboards — simple woodea boards on which the earthenware mugs were stored. Marco Polo’s successful mission led to flourishing trade between east and west. It also led to many years of unsuccessful attempts to pro- duce at home the merchan- dise which was so highly prized. Most nations in the western world experimented with the manufacture of porcelain because it promised untold fortunes to those who were able to develop the for- mula and the manufacturing process. . The pure white rranslu- .eency of the precious dishes from the cast sparked a fiercely competitive race to be the first in its manufacture. Porcelain, after all, was a con- sumer good with an unlimit- ed market — much like com- puters were 20 years ago. _. Unlike today, however, . JAYLORMOTIV SEnVICE LID, Friday, December 13, 1996 — North Shore News - PaaS rr. We JULIE Bernard (left) and Wendy McCleery — two-thirds of the Bella sisters — paint ceramic plates and |. writes Edith Saatkamp, is one of intrigue and industrial espionage. a research and development were very slow when it came | , to porcelain. Marco Polo's voyage lay almost 400 years in the past before true success in the production of porcelain was achieved in the west. Much of today’s porcelaia still bears the royal crowns of heads of states who had sponsored and financed the development. The alchemist Jobann Friedrich Boettger finally won the long struggle ro develop the right mixture. His unsuc- cessful experiments to make gold from common metal had cost the Elector of Saxony and King of Pojand a fortune. When the hapless . Boettger tried to escape the wrath of the king, he was captured and given the task to produce the clusive white ‘ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS . -2.A. APPROVED Ci Pitre pcan “A ENTRE ALIGNMENT - BALANCING - TIRES _ OUR 38TH YEAR 176 PEMBERTON AVE. N.VAN. Bring Bir | TALKING YELLOW PAGES: 299-9000 i7141515.. ESTIMATES CONSULTATION « 985-7455 | Our Mini Binoculars ds Up Close. | ; (So enjoy birds more.) Exceilent Value at When it comes to enjoying backyard birds, closer is better. Our new mini binoculars are ideal for birdwatchers or sports enthusiasts who want the convenience of a small, lightweight binocular. Wild Brel uihatod w We Bring Peeple And Nature Together? 1190 Marine Drive (at Pemberton) 988-2121 S BirRuseeD ¢ Feesers © BiRDBATHS © Narure Gerrs _ were empty after porcelain. The king’s coffers ¢ experi- ment in gold, and the manu- facture of porcelain promised a high reward. Boettger had to work at the task since each attempt to flee led to his recapture. He succeeded after experiment- ing for 16 years in various walled fortresses: Only his premature death at the age of 37 freed him from the clutch- The Smokey Mountain Burger - Meissen in 1719... es of the king who was at last able to establish the State ’ Porcelain Manufacture at But the secret of formula and production could not be kept in Meissen for long. Other manufacturers were ~ quick to make lucrative offers to Meissen workers who knew the formula. With that dramatic ending in the story of porcelain you Platter & Buttertart Bar. REGENDARY PLACE. 2205 Lonsdale North Vancouver 752 Marine Dr. (Park Royal) | white ; ,Spot West Vancouver bowis in their West Vancouver shop, Bella Ceramica Studios. The history of ceremic develcpment, | - may be inspired to try your own hand at painting the - product of such rich history. The Bella Ceramica sisters in West Vancouver will capture you with the wonderfully warm and creative atmos- phere at their ceramic paint- ° ing classes. Edith Saatkamp practises” :: and teaches residential design” on thé North Shore. You can... reach her at 254-6557, °~ Grilled 1/4 Ib of beef, smokey BBQ mayo, pepper Jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and sweet red onion. Pius, an old-fashioned buttertart bar with creamy vanilla ice cream, hot fudge & butterscotch sauce. Let the feast begin tonight. LEGENDARY TASTE.” 1100-333 Brooksbank Ave. North Vancouver “Plus applicable taxes. Additional toppings extra. 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