Porcelain is the same type of ceramics that is simultaneously distinguished by both snow-white and grace, and strength. This material has several varieties with its own characteristics - hard, soft, bone and biscuit. We will talk about the latter in more detail.
Biscuit porcelain in the narrow and wide sense
This type of porcelain, like no other, can convey the silkiness, velvet and warmth of human skin. Its structure has nothing to do with dessert - the word "biscuit" from "bis" is formed, which means "two", "double". This is due to the peculiarities of its firing.
In a narrow sense, a biscuit is not glazed, burnt one (which is more typical for modern technologies) or twice as material. How to distinguish biscuit porcelain? It is distinguished by a snow-white, rough, dull surface, which can even be confused with high-quality varieties of marble. There is nothing to say about the technique of painting biscuit porcelain - the noble material is beautiful even without applying paint or glaze.
In a broader sense, you can call a biscuit any ceramic product that passed only through the primary (otherwise - biscuit) firing, whose characteristic temperature is 800-1000 ° C. As a result, a strong, heavy, but porous material is obtained. Further, repeated and even repeated firing can be carried out, as well as processing with a slip or glaze. But, as we have already mentioned, biscuit porcelain figurines most often remain unglazed.
Biscuit story
The homeland of this noble porcelain should be called France. The material was brought to fame by the works of the artist Boucher, which also allowed to form a special style of French plastic. In the second half of the 18th century, ceramics from workshops from the city of Sevres began to attract attention, working both with glazed and biscuit porcelain. These glorious works were distinguished by a floral motif - wreaths, bouquets, garlands, baskets. The works could be deservedly considered wonderful examples of art.
In the era of classicism, biscuit porcelain products became an integral part of the interior of noble houses - furniture decor, dinner sets, sculptures and sculptural compositions.
Sponge cake application
Due to the porous structure, biscuit is not used in the manufacture of dishes - the material absorbs water. However, he is very good at the following:
- Tinted porcelain of this type is used to make faces and bodies of biscuit dolls, as well as decorative masks.
- This is a popular material for sculpting sculptures, statuettes, jewelry, decorative elements - all that does not need to be protected by a biscuit surface.
Other types of porcelain
We will briefly get acquainted with other types of porcelain:
- Bone . The formula for this variety of soft porcelain was discovered in England by D. Spode in the 18th century. Its unusual feature is that 60% of the material consists of ash from the burned bones of cows, most of which are valued at the hip. They do not give a yellowish tint, like horses, and make melting easier. Its main advantage is its extraordinary subtlety, reaching transparency.
- Soft . Other names - artificial, artistic, frit. He became known in the XVI century - this is the so-called Medici porcelain. The standard formula was later invented in France in 1673. Its composition is dominated by frit - quartz, vitreous substances, feldspar. Translucency and a pleasant creamy color are given by alabaster, flint, sea salt, saltpeter. Soft porcelain retains heat longer, but at the same time, it emits porosity, low strength, even brittleness.
- Solid . Also known as "real." We owe its discovery to the German manufactory Meissen. Such porcelain is distinguished by great strength, density, resistance to high temperatures and chemical attack. Glaze looks very good on hard porcelain - it is thin and shiny here. Since this coating consists of the same substances, but in a different content as the material itself, it is homogeneous and tightly adheres to it. Why glaze from solid porcelain does not exfoliate at all. Moreover, it will be difficult even to repel it from this material. Sponge cake, by the way, is a variation of this group, only unglazed.
The biscuit looks the most natural, the warmest of all types of porcelain. That is why it is so perfect for sculptural compositions, porcelain masks and dolls.