CRAFTSMANSHIP

The manufacturing process begins with the porcelain mass. This consists of about half kaolin (porcelain clay) and a quarter each of feldspar and quartz. The purity of the raw materials ensures the desired top quality and the exact recipe is a well-guarded secret, the so-called arcanum. Kaolin, feldspar and quartz are first mixed with water and sieved so that all impurities are removed. The water is then pressed out of the liquid porcelain raw material under great pressure. Large squares of kneadable material are created - the so-called filter cake - which are stored in moisture-retaining cellars with almost 100 percent humidity for several weeks.

After a freehand drawing, the modeler creates an initial plaster model on a 1:1 scale. A second model, approximately 16 percent larger, is needed to compensate for the loss of volume during drying and firing. A multi-part working form is then built around the model. Complex figures can have more than 80 individual parts.

Objects such as jugs, figurines or other fine shapes are usually cast. To do this, the filter cakes must be liquefied again so that the raw material meets the precisely defined properties so that it can later be slowly poured into the rotating plaster molds. Since plaster attracts water, an increasingly hardening layer forms on the mold walls. As soon as the desired thickness is reached, the remaining, still liquid mass is poured out of the mold. The casting then dries and can be removed.

If the porcelain is not to be cast, but rather shaped and turned, as is the case with most plates and bowls, the porcelain mass must have a firmer consistency. To do this, the filter cake is vented and compressed into a cylindrical hull. It takes a lot of sensitivity to achieve exactly the required moisture content of the mass. Unlike pottery, the blank is not shaped freely on the turntable, but rather twisted or unscrewed into a special rotating hollow product mold.

The individual parts produced by casting or turning are assembled (garnished) with a pasty porcelain mass, the so-called slip. For example, a coffee pot consists of a body, spout, handle, lid and knob. When garnishing, you have to do it quickly so that the pieces don't dry out. Seams are neatly plastered. Finally, the finished product is processed again with brushes and sponges so that any irregularities disappear.

As long as the blank is still wet, the porcelain can be cut. A job that requires the highest level of skill and patience. Around 3,000 cuts have to be made precisely by hand for the openwork edge of the HAM BASKET alone.