Parian is a type of bisque porcelain. It was named after Paros, a Greek island renowned for its fine-textured, white marble of the same name. Invented by Thomas Battam, Parian provided a lower cost alternative to carved marble.[1]
A notable advantage was that it could be prepared in a liquid form and cast in a mould - a quality lending itself to mass production. Parian ware was utilised mainly for busts and figurines, and occasionally for dishes and small vases[2], such as might be carved from marble. Several English factories claimed credit for its development. The Staffordshire firm run by William Taylor Copeland and Thomas Garrett first produced and marketed it in 1842.[3] In 1845, as part of a concerted effort to raise public taste and improve manufactures, the Art Union commissioned Copeland to make a series of figures after works by leading contemporary sculptors. Minton and Wedgwood produced similar wares, also known as "statuary porcelain"[4], other manufacturers included Goss, Royal Worcester, Robinson and Leadbeater. Parian is still being made by Belleek Pottery.[1]