HISTORY
Known since ancient times in the Far East, located in China the production center of more 'high artistic level over the 4 millennia prior to its introduction in the West.
Its development originates in the era Yin (1300 - 1028 BC) by a plate of thin thickness with curves that worked lathe and the typical glossy black, since the carbon Content from mixing, and then increase its diffusion in later times, with the discovery of the genera "CELADON"
(today BONE CHINA) "HSING - HAO" (white porcelain) and "THE CELADON NORD "from the typical olive green. Through the centuries, the decorations become the most 'sought; so, during the dynasty YUAN (1280 - 1368 A.D. ), With the import of the cobalt from Persia, born the usually white and blue. This type of decoration, it reaches its Summit refinement under the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) that from 'origin prior to the genus "TOU TSAI" in polychrome enamels, most Later decorations in gold leaf.
Reached the pinnacle of perfection and greatness, whether it comes from aspiration in large-scale export of Chinese product in the world, at the expense of quality. This results in the collapse of the Oriental myth and the end of the great Empire Celeste, who recently little lapses.
In conjunction with the Eastern crisis, born in 1709 in Dresden the first European porcelain. We owe this invention to Prince Frederick Augustus of Saxony, art lover and porcelain Chinese, who, like many other European monarchs, wanted tear to the Chinese secret of hard porcelain. We succeeded ' thanks alchemist JOHAN FRIEDRICH Boettger, who took refuge in Saxony in 1701 after escaping to King Frederick William of Prussia.
The discovery itself was, however, a fact totally random. In fact, if you already 'in 1708 Boettger had obtained the first results with a dough tough, type stoneware, dark red, dwell ' one day his attention to a powder of fine powder that She was looking for her wig. The other fine powder It was not that pure kaolin, which existed near a big stock. And so, 28 March 1709 Boettger presented the Chancery Court of the first hard porcelain manufactured in Europe, which later became the now famous Meissen porcelain.
     NUTURE OF PORCELAIN
Porcelain belongs to the large group of ceramics, which includes all that is manufactured using a raw material to Content clay.
Its basic components are the CAOLINO, sedimentary rock crumbly white, on which depends the purity of porcelain and then the real quality 'of the finished product, the QUARTZ, which gives the hardness, and the FELDSPAR present in about 60% of the minerals Earth's crust, which compactness and uniformity in all the dough.
     FEATURES PORCELAIN
For everyday use we make porcelain, features the most interesting are three:
1) hardness: equal eighth grade on the Mohs scale, can 'scratch many materials, and, despite its apparent fragility 'is tougher than a normal steel.
2) transparency: or, more precisely, the translucency, which allows us, especially in the finest pottery, to see the light through
3) Resistance to aging: the porcelain remains unchanged despite the passage of time, subject to the conditions of care in the preservation of the product.
     PROCESS MANUFACTURING PORCELAIN
1) mixing of kaolin 50% - 25% feldspar - quartz 25%
2) grinding elements
3) kneading with water and subsequent formation of the mass (fluid or solid)
4) Forged mass to shape (forging casting or lathe)
5) first firing at 800 to 900 degrees C.
6) it follows the so-called cookie
7) showcase (enamel)
8) second firing at 1300 - 1500 degrees C.
9) in the case of decorated china, the decoration can be done under glaze (ie on the biscuit) or above enamel (Ie in the window). In the second case the color is much more delicate for use and deteriorates more easily.

- TPM -
Technology Porcelain Mediterranee
Locality Foce - 66010 Rapino (CH)
Italy