3. Composition and decoration of Bow first patent porcelains:
Based on firing of analogue 1744 patent porcelains we discuss aspects of kiln conditions, physical properties of these porcelains, and the decorative idioms derived from London theatre and local engravings, coupled with exotic themes including Chinese blanc de chine, famille vert and famille noir, Japanese Kakiemon, Meissen indianische Blumen, and fables. These eclectic, artistic outpourings of the early-mid 1740s are allied to the skills of Staffordshire mould-makers and slip-cast potters and melded into the brilliant, indigenous, hard-paste output of Bow. This output has set the bench-mark for other British concerns – chronologically, technologically, compositionally, and artistically.