Blue and White Transfer-Printed Pottery: 97 (Shire Library) - Tapa blanda

"Like other Shire books in my collection, this is a wonderful little volume packed with a great many pictures and tons of information. I've used these books time and again in my research--sometimes for facts, sometimes for inspiration. This one offers plenty of both, starting with a Glossary and History and going on to detailed photos of the manufacturing process, and proceeding to discussions of the patterns and colors (including a chart of the tones of blue)." --Loretta Chase, Two Nerdy History Girls (March 2010)

Blues made from cobalt were first used widely for painted decoration in China during the fifteenth century. Much of the porcelain imported into Europe was decorated with blue designs, and after about 1650, when tea was introduced, the volume of blue and white 'chinaware' brought back from Canton was enormous. European potters tried to emulate this fine tableware, most successfully on artificial portcelain and tin-glazed earthenwares. The imports from China decline in the 1780s, and owners of Chinese services found it difficult to obtain replacements or additions. To meet this need, British potters copied the hand-painted patterns using the technique of transfer-printing from engraved copper plates. Spode perfected this process, and his wares have never been surpassed.