Part 23 (1/2)
”That is one of the difficulties our designers encounter, too,”
replied Mr Marwood ”So is not equal, or where a border does not join That indicates inaccurate placing of the pattern, or an incorrect esti sometimes,” declared Theo ”It isn't so easy I re a card for Mother with soet them where I wanted them”
”Decalcomania?” exclaimed Mr Marwood ”We do that kind of work here too In fact, a great old borders are transferred to the ware by that method I see you will be quite at houess you would find ers would be all thumbs”
”Possibly at first It is very fussy work, I must admit But the processes are at least easy for you to understand Another type of decoration that will interest you is that employed ish to put bands of solid color around the edges of plates or dishes; also ish to color their entire surface We call it ground-laying No do you suppose we do that?”
Theo thought a ine,” he said at last ”Of course you could not get the color even with a brush”
”No,” answered Mr Marwood ”We must first apply to the space ish to color a peculiar kind of oil, and afterward dust over this round metallic color”
”Which sticks only to the oiled part!” Theo exclaimed, quickly
”You have the idea Then the superfluous powder is blown off, and when fired the dust fuses into a solid liquid color, giving us a sreen, or what you will; or perhaps a dish of solid tone if that has been the intent We do not use this method for every type of flat color work, however, because when the powdered color blows about the workers are apt to inhale it, and it is very bad for their health Therefore when it is possible we tint the china by hand, which can be done if the color is a delicate one and spreads smoothly; or we color the clay itself”
All this tih the factory and going fro department
”First I want you to see our air-brush process,” Mr Marwood said
He led the way to an ingeniousa fine jet of color over the surface of a porcelain plate In some places this color rippled away into a faint tint; in others it settled into an area of a deep rich tone By the aid of stencils the effect produced was of an exquisitely shaded ware, and Theo watched the ith delight
”I think this air-brush process is theone I have seen,” the boy cried
”It certainly is fascinating to watch, isn't it?” agreed Mr Marwood ”I could stand here all day; but I fear we o over to where those girls are gilding Soold line on the china, and others are doing elaborate designs in gold The work of the next group is to gild the handles of cups and dishes”
They passed on and stood beside the workers
”That does not look like gold!” exclaihed
”All gold looks like that,” he said, ”before it is fired and burnished In fact, all the lass, pottery, and porcelain look very different when they are put on from what they do after they have been subjected to the heat That is the wonderful part of working in oxides and lass are the result of years of experiet that All china decorators have constantly to bear in h temperature upon their colors What would be attractive on the unfired clay ly product indeed We must reckon on this fact”
Theo nodded
”It reat problem,” he said
”It does However, decorators have now learned pretty hat to expect A certain carmine, for exahter or darker than when applied, and allowance irls who paint china becoes in colors These who are working beside us are doing the finest sort of porcelain decoration--faces, figures, and flowers Those across the aisle are doing a vastly different type of work They are putting coarse, sketchy flowers on the cheaper ware Sons that have either first been printed, or transferred by the decalcoirls supply the dabs of color that are needed to complete the pattern”
”It looks easy”
”It is not highly skilled work,” answered Mr Marwood ”Some of our methods, however, are far less skilled than this one What would you say, for instance, to decorating china with a sponge?”
”A sponge? Painting with a sponge?”
”Not exactly painting,” protested Mr Marwood ”It is not quite that We do, nevertheless, for our cheapest ware use a fine-grained sponge cut in the shape of the desired design This we dip in color and with it impress a pattern on the clay as ould with a rubber stamp”