Parian ware

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Parian "Nelson Jug" (1851)

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 was essentially designed as imitation carved marble,[1] with the great advantage that it was prepared in a liquid form and cast in a mould, enabling 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 of London commissioned Copeland to make a series of figures after works by leading contemporary sculptors. Mintons and Wedgwood produced similar wares, also known as "statuary porcelain",[4] other manufacturers included Goss, Royal Worcester, Robinson and Leadbeater. It was initially used for relatively high quality work but later was produced by a great number of manufacturers and considerably lost its cachet. Parian is still being made by Belleek Pottery.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information on Parian (Stoke Museums)
  2. ↑ John Fleming and Hugh Honour. Dictionary of the Decorative Arts, 1977, s.v. "Parian ware".
  3. ↑ "Antiques Almanac: Parian"
  4. ↑ C. and D. Shinn. The Illustrated Guide to Victorian Parian china, 1971.

Further reading

  • Dennis Barker. Parian Ware (Osprey Publishing, 2008).

External links

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