Bone China: what is it and what is the variety famous for?

For the manufacture of dishes and items for decorating interiors, a large number of materials are used, and among them there is porcelain. In addition to the usual, today manufacturers actively use bone china, different from it, in light of which it stands out for its unique characteristics.

The material, so called, is a solid raw material, a component of which is burnt bone. Among the characteristic features of such porcelain, it is worth highlighting high strength indicators, as well as white. Material appeared as a result of work relating to attempts to recreate the formula for the production of world-famous Chinese porcelain. For the first time, bone ash began to be included in solid raw materials in the 18th century, and the result was the impetus for deriving the basic formula for manufacturing bone china, which is still used today.

Ideally, the composition of the material should contain such components as:

• white clay - 25%;
• feldspar - 25%;
• burned bone mass of animals - 50%.

The main properties that make this material different from ordinary, caused by the absence of voids inside, perfectly filled with bone ash. Among the external characteristics that brought bone china special popularity, it is worth highlighting the expressive whiteness and transparency, as well as the ability to recreate a delicate cream color on products and utensils from this solid and at the same time elegant raw material. Porcelain acquires its basic properties gradually as a result of firing, which is carried out at a temperature of +1050 to + 1300 ° C.

Bone mass is also pre-processed, as a result of which glue and organic components are removed from it. Further, with the help of plaster forms, the production of products takes place, followed by its design with the help of glaze, painting or decal.

Bone china, like any other raw material, has inherent strengths and weaknesses that will manifest themselves during the operation of products from it. So, the following are the advantages of the material:

• increased strength indicators, even with thin walls of products; as practice shows, products with such a composition will be more resistant to mechanical damage than other variations of the raw materials used to make dishes and decor items;
• the walls of products from this porcelain will be translucent, which allows products to look lighter, more refined and refined; such qualities are especially appreciated by antiquaries and other amateurs and collectors of aristocratic figurines, dishes, and so on;
• the variety is famous for its noble color; real bone china will not have an unpleasant gray tint;
• the surface of products from this raw material does not contain any roughness, to the touch all dishes and other products will be perfectly smooth;
• Manufacturers make dinner sets and other household items from the material, which can be attributed to the universal category, since they can be used not only to decorate the home, but also for normal operation at the family table.

The material is also not without some drawbacks, namely:

• Despite its durability, products made from this raw material will require special care, which will preserve their original appearance, as well as extend the operational life;
• in addition to a special approach to care, bone china will also require the owner to observe certain nuances regarding storage;
• products from this material are expensive;
• Despite its strength and hardness, bone china does not withstand sudden temperature jumps up or down.

Today, manufacturers who use this material in their production offer the following types of dishes:

• plates of various sizes and depths, including products used for decoration;
• services
• tea and coffee appliances for 2 or more persons;
• tureens;
• services.

White porcelain or ivory, before going to the shelves, go through the obligatory process of painting and decoration. The painting can be underglaze or overglaze, and there are also products whose design themes combine two techniques of artists' work. In most bone china products are decorated in white and blue colors, which is called "Cobalt net", which has become a kind of visiting card product from this material. Such a painting, depending on the temperature treatment, may be pale blue or saturated blue. Sometimes shades of black, gray and brown are used, the flowers of magnolia and other plants are drawn on the surfaces of the dishes.

The products are painted manually, but in some production workshops, bone china products are decorated using special shapes with thin lines drawn that define the outline. And also in practice is actively used thin film - a decal that "works" by analogy with a decal. Overglaze painting of dishes and other products is sometimes done in gold.Work using precious metals can be done with a brush. manually or with a special stamp.

Today, bone and china products are manufactured by many domestic and foreign brands. Among the available popular brands, it is worth highlighting the most popular production.

• Imperial Porcelain Factory. This company during the time of Tsarist Russia was the first domestic production specializing in the manufacture of porcelain dishes. As for bone raw materials, then on the basis of this plant the first products were released already during the Soviet era.

• Royal doulton - This is an English concern specializing in working with similar material. Now the brand is one of the largest suppliers of bone china products. The assortment of the company has a variety of products, including exclusive dinner sets and decor items.

• Wedgwood - It is no less popular brand than the Russian factory, the company occupies one of the most popular niches, as it works not only to provide porcelain products to ordinary consumers, but also carries out orders for the production of dishes for the British royal court. In addition to the sought-after classics, the company also produces extraordinary products and art objects.

• Spode - This is another popular brand for the manufacture of bone china products, which offers customers a large assortment of dishes of high quality. Production facilities have been actively operating for over 200 years. Today, the brand launched its exclusive line for the manufacture of elite class products.

• Narumi - This is a Japanese brand, considered one of the youngest companies in this market segment. However, the products of this brand stand out for their sophistication, high quality and a special approach to the design of dishes. Japan focuses on the production and painting of products in a manual way, which adds value to dishes and other products.

The acquisition of such dishes or other products requires an understanding of how to distinguish quality products from second-rate fakes. Assessing the appearance of the product you like, you should pay special attention to several nuances.

• Color. Quality products should be pure white or cream color. And also porcelain should shine. The color scheme may vary in light of the use of new technologies in the work, but the shade on the surface of the products should be warm, not stand out by deliberate whiteness.
• Transparency. Plates or any other products made of quality bone china should transmit light.
• Picture. If the proposed product is positioned as utensils or souvenirs with hand-painted, then a detailed examination will be able to see the characteristic brush strokes.
• Marking. All products must be labeled without fail. Typically, the appropriate stamps are placed on the back side at the bottom. It is recommended that manufacturers with a known name be preferred.
• No surface defects. When purchasing dishes for a gift or for personal use, you need to make sure the smoothness of all the walls. It is important that the product does not have holes, bubbles, as well as chips and scratches, especially around the edge.

By purchasing bone china products for use, it is worthwhile to further study issues related to the care and storage of such products, pay attention to the following recommendations:

• Do not wash dishes with hard abrasive sponges, as well as prohibiting the use of powdered household chemicals, which can leave scratches on the surface; if possible, it is worth completely abandoning the use of any additional chemistry;
• porcelain is very sensitive to sharp fluctuations in temperature, so care should be taken or to operate cups, plates or other objects; if hot liquid is poured into the container, it must first be rinsed in warm water and so on;
• porcelain care involves the use of water at room temperature; it is impossible to wash under hot water even with strong pollution;
• arrange dishes on a table or when stored on a shelf should be so that the containers do not touch the edges with each other; it is best to shift containers with white paper towels when storing dishes on top of each other;
• after wet processing, porcelain products must be wiped dry; It is recommended to remove dust with a dry cloth without lint.

See how the famous English fine bone china Dunoon is made in the next video.