History and Manufacture Medici porcelain

medici porcelain vase, 1575-1587.

giorgio vasari reported in 1568 edition of vite bernardo buontalenti @ work on discovering art of porcelain, there no sign successful. first successes reported in 1575 venetian ambassador andrea gussoni, mentioned in brief serenissima francesco discovered means of making porcelain of india, (i.e. east indies). gussoni mentioned in particular 4 qualities made porcelain desirable, apart exotic rarity:

however, entire project relatively short-lived; high-firing temperature pushed sixteenth century technical capability limit, resulting in exorbitant production costs. there no references medici porcelain manufacture securely dated after francesco s death in 1587.

medici porcelain ewer, 1575-1587.

the body of medici porcelain ware type of soft-paste porcelain, composed of white clay containing powdered feldspar, calcium phosphate , wollastonite (casio3), quartz. glaze contains calcium phosphate, indicating middle-eastern technique of using calcined bone make opaque white glaze adopted. result translucent glassy in feel. following precedents of classic chinese blue , white porcelain, decorations painted in underglaze blue, resulted in range of hues when fired—from bright cobalt blue (such flask in national gallery of art) grey (such bottle detail @ right). pieces have outlines traced in manganese.

body shapes adapted maiolica ceramics , silver models; range largest basins , ewers, chargers , plates, smallest cruets. decorative motifs executed in imitation of chinese blue-and-white wares, or of turkish İznik ceramics, or more in imitation of maiolica grottesche ornament. both chinese , turkish ceramics had been represented in medici family collections on century; example, 1 prized possession of family gift mamluk sultan of egypt sent lorenzo de medici large vessels of porcelain, of has never been seen in 1478.