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Hard Paste Porcelain

This discussion of hard paste porcelain has been divided into three sections:  Chinese hard paste, Japanese hard paste and European hard paste (also sometimes called Continental European hard paste, but here the name has been revised slightly in order to include English hard paste).  Hard paste porcelain is fired at higher temperatures than bone china or soft paste porcelain and has a highly vitrified paste that is resistance to staining.

Click on individual sections below to see each essay on Hard Paste Porcelain

Chinese Porcelain (click on link to see full essay)

Defining Attributes -
Chinese porcelain has a vitrified, glassy paste with a slight blue to pale gray tint that blends into and is nearly indistinguishable from the glaze.

European Hard Paste Porcelain (click on link to see full essay)

Defining Attributes -
This category encompasses both hard paste porcelains from Continental Europe and from England.  European hard paste porcelain is characterized by its highly vitrified paste, with glaze that is impervious to staining or crazing.  Under short and mid-range ultraviolet light (click here to see example), the glazed surface of European hard paste porcelain appears magenta or dark purple.

Japanese Porcelain (click on link to see full essay)

Defining Attributes -
Japanese porcelain has a highly vitrified white to off-white hard paste created with kaolin and ball clays combined with feldspar and silica (Ross 2012:15).  Under short and mid-range ultraviolet light, the glazed surface of Japanese porcelain appears magenta or dark purple.  

 

Paste Shots

 

Click on each image below
to see a larger view
Closeup paste shot of Chinese hard paste porcelain - click image to see a larger view.
Chinese Hard Paste
Closeup paste shot of European hard paste porcelain - click image to see a larger view.
European Hard Paste
Closeup paste shot of Japanese porcelain - click image to see a larger view.
Japanese Porcelain
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