The miracle of red porcelain

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Porcelain has long been a rarity that adorned the life of wealthy people, and an object of enthusiastic collecting. Porcelain products were carefully stored, passed on by inheritance and were the pride of their owners.

In the 17th century, porcelain was so rare and so highly prized that Russian ceramists and industrialists repeatedly tried to uncover the secret of its manufacture, which was first solved by the Chinese. This happened only in the middle of the century, and at the beginning all porcelain products were really man-made. The artists of that time were extremely careful with the material, and the Imperial Porcelain Factory, created soon after, fulfilled only orders of the reigning family and produced unique pieces for the needs of the court.

Unfortunately, several centuries of improving porcelain give us examples of not only the highest artistic taste and craftsmanship … The spread of porcelain went very quickly, reflecting different tastes and ideas about beauty, because in any circle it remained a symbol of an expensive thing and good taste. Therefore, the culprit of our brief narrative sometimes lost its former aesthetic dignity, becoming utilitarian and accessible. There was even the concept of "tavern porcelain" - the most popular and inexpensive. It was distinguished by the brightness and purity of colors, a large pattern, but at the same time it was often unusually variegated, oversaturated with decorative details. Its forms were imperfect, the execution of the plots was naive and generalized.

Another way was associated with imitation of European models, with the desire for extraordinary luxury and majesty of products. At the same time, the artists seemed to have little interest in porcelain as such; the special charm inherent only to him was no longer preserved almost or at all. For example, continuous gilding was used - in imitation of gilded bronze; solid background fill, destroying the beauty of the material itself; mechanical copying of ornaments and foreign designs; mixing elements of various styles …

But we will not talk about the history and modern life of white porcelain in any detail. Many books have been written about this, which can be read by anyone … Our story today is about another treasure - so far rare and secretive, but how promising and rich!..

"… This miracle is" red porcelain "…"

Only a very few people know that there is a material that is close in its characteristics to white porcelain, but has other, inherent only to it (but no less attractive) properties.

First, an attempt at a short definition. "Red Porcelain" is a red-burning clay mass prepared according to a special recipe. The additives it contains (which ones and how much - the manufacturer keeps secret) allow the items to withstand "porcelain" firing - up to 1300 C. stone mass”, therefore the color of the resulting ceramics becomes special (but more on that later).

Of course, the clay mass itself is not a guarantee that a wonderful vessel will be "created" from it. This is just an opportunity to slightly open the Treasured Door … And who of us does not know that two housewives will bake completely different pies from the same flour.

After all, there are a great many products made of red-burning clay (including the one about which our story is). But only a small part of them are made in accordance with the principles that correspond to working with porcelain:

- graceful, elegant, well-cut forms of vessels; - exquisite sculptural work, attention to detail; - a rich palette of paintings performed in various techniques and at a high level of skill.

The value of such works is determined not only by the fact that they are extremely rare: "Red Porcelain" is very demanding of the potter and ceramic artist; it is easy to “ruin” it both before and during firing … If the technology for the production of white porcelain has been perfected for centuries, but nevertheless it often fails, then what can we say about “red porcelain”, in which ceramists are most often promoted "To the touch", intuitively; through lengthy searches and trials?..

It seems that "red porcelain" will remain a "precious rarity" for a long time, available to only a few. And the point here, perhaps, is not in its cost (the latter, by the way, is not at all high in comparison with white porcelain of famous brands). It's just that the magic of “red porcelain” is hidden; it is far from being revealed to everyone and far from immediately … I remember the lines of Arseny Tarkovsky:

“… And I pushed the birch heat apart, As Daniel commanded, Blessed temper your pink

And how the prophet spoke.

Stingy, ocher, restless

I have been the earth for a long time … and you

They fell on my chest by accident

From the beaks of birds, from the eyes of the grass …"

However, the eye of a subtle, true connoisseur (even accustomed to the luxury of white-painted porcelain) invariably returns to the discreet, but deep, soul-like beauty of red porcelain.

The whiteness of porcelain has a cold bluish (sometimes even gray) tint. This is the shining kingdom of the Snow Queen;

Aloofness, elevation, nebula, shine of a white-skinned lady, dressed up for a secular ball …

Evenness and smoothness are appreciated in its glaze, it gives rise to the feeling

glass, mother of pearl, ice … something shining, but sliding and

disappearing …

"Red Porcelain" has many shades of color - from almost black to honey: ocher, red, copper, terracotta, purple, … This allows you to work with the color of the shard itself (and not just the painting). Depending on the firing temperature and the content of various chemical elements (for example, iron) in the clay, different parts of the vessel or sculpture can acquire different colors: "soft" or "red-hot", "dark chocolate" or "ripe cherry", "sand dune" or "young wine" …

Such a shard (that is, clay in a fired state) accepts and admits for painting, perhaps, only "colors of autumn", "the gamut of falling leaves" - but how endless for admiring the delight of their mixing and combination!

… And this clay also loves a bright white color - like unexpected, warm, early snow …

"Red porcelain" does not tolerate continuous glazing, then it immediately "perishes", turning into an uninteresting utilitarian clay pot. He also does not like excessive "dryness", becoming inexpressive and dull at the same time (and where does his mysterious, shimmering "sweetness" immediately disappear to? …). A truly successful thing attracts with a special combination of both.

Let's mentally "travel" along it … Here is a barrel of a vessel filled with glaze, shining with the blackness of a night lake … Then - a gradual transition to a muffled, crumbly shine, like drops of fine rain on autumn foliage …, but here they gradually disappear and give way to a velvety look and a piece of clay “suede” of various shades, silky to the touch. Such parts of the work are most often also polished, polished by hand: then the deep relief of the shard appears, emerges, giving rise to the feeling of distant antiquity, with its wise dignity belonging to Eternity …

… But this place is left untouched, and it kind of brings us back to the Original - the Earth, "mean, ocher, restless …". And again life was breathed into it, sparks of moisture appeared … All this can exist in one product, one vessel - and it is located individually and uniquely along it: according to the artist's intention, the form of work, the plot of the painting.

Before we say goodbye to you, let's imagine it and feel it again …

White porcelain is a holiday, high life and shine of jewelry, flirtatiousness and flirting, promise and betrayal, innocence and temptation, Handel and Mozart, waltz and polonaise …

Red porcelain is the comfort of a burning hearth, the singing of a cricket, hops and the astringency of wine … the sunshine of ripe rye and the aroma of broken, just baked bread … a flickering fire in the night … the taste of honey and the smell of a hive … clouds scorched by the sunset … farewell of falling leaves - Wisdom, Loyalty, Warmth and Peace …

Alexander and Tatiana Buzlanov-Creative workshop "Dew Drop"