Glossary of Terms in 20th Century Spanish Porcelain
- Backstamp
- A mark that appears as a colored stamp, usually
applied as a paint "chip" that then opens into the mark during kiln firing.
- Bisque
- Sometimes used interchangeably with the term "matte"
but more properly reserved to an unglazed porcelain that is completely
white and unpainted
- Ceramic
- Sometimes used as a synonym for porcelain, but
porcelain is actually one type among many included in the broader term
"ceramic." Some ceramics are made of a soft and relatively brittle paste.
Not allc eramics, then, are made of porcelain.
- Glazed
- A shiny surface produced by the thin (usually spray-applied)
application of a clear glaze
- Goyesca
- A series of Lladró sculptures by Enrique San Isidro
and made of a porcelain formula that is claylike and malleable. It holds the
imprint of the artist's fingers as well as the pattern of whatever textile is
pressed into it as it is being worked.
- Gres
- A special porcelain formula characterized by matte, usually
earthen-toned colors and having portions colored with enamel paints
"Repose" (#22169) is done in the Gres formula.
First issued in 1987, it is being produced today at a retail price of
$225 USD. Note the earthen-toned colors and the matte skin surfaces,
which are typically also done in darker colors, making this formula especially
well suited to the depiction of ethnic themes. (A larger picture of this
item can be seen on the "Slide Show" page.)(Photo by the author from
her own collection.)
- Flowerwork
- Flowers applied to fine porcelain. Application is usually made with liquid porcelain or porcelain
glaze so that the adhesive is invisible.
- Hard-paste porcelain
- As distinguished from soft-paste or
semi-porcelain, "hard-paste" (so called for its durability both pre- and
post-manufacture) is also called "true porcelain," the formula for which
was discovered/invented in China centuries ago. The code for this formula
was eventually cracked
by 18th century Meissen chemists in Germany. Its key
ingredients are kaolin clay and petunse stone. Today, Lladró uses
basically the same ancient formula for true porcelain (with a few arcane additions
of its own to the formula) and the same
molding and assembly processes used by Meissen since the 18th century.
- Mark
- The attribution information on the base of fine porcelain,
typically consisting of manufacturer's name and place of manufacture and some
sort of manufacturer's logo. Marks may be inscribed (etched), embossed (raised),
painted, or stamped. (See "backstamp.")
- Matte
- Unglazed surface. (See "bisque.")
- Prototype
- A "one-of-a-kind" item that never went into actual
production.
- Second
- An item of second-quality merchandise, typically sold by
high-end porcelain manufacturers at the factory of origin and usually indicated
by an alteration of the mark. On Lladró, this would be
the scraping off of the logo flower above the name. A common way to indicate
a second at other porcelain manufactories (including Meissen and Royal
Copenhagen) is through a slash or hash scratched through the mark.
- Slip
- Porcelain in its liquid form
Coming Soon from Old Line Publishing!
Posted 2/28/10
I'm so pleased to be able to announce, at last, that my latest book,
The Lladró Brand Book,
is forthcoming this spring from Old Line Publishing in Hampstead, Maryland, USA! The manuscript
is well underway, but I would love it if collectors could send me a CD with photos of the
individual items in their
collections. The book will cover all the Lladró brands: regular collection,
NAO, Zaphir, Rosal, Hispania (animal and bird figurines), and Golden Memories. The book will focus
exclusively on retired figurine models in these brands. The photos need to be in a
large format and at least 300dpi in resolution. Those contributing photos will be mentioned
on the Acknowledgments page of the book as well as in individual photo credits. If you can help,
please email me. I'd love to include your
collection in my book!
For advance sales information and/or to reserve your copy, please contact my publisher
directly by clicking on the link for
Old Line Publishing!
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