When in search for the right type of Antique plates you want to be able to find something that you love above all the rest. Choosing one particular manufacturer or style will help you to narrow down your search and to find something valuable. One of the most popular styles are the bone china plates.
This was created by Josiah Spode. When Spode was seventeen he was the apprentice of Thomas Whieldon – the finest potter in the area of Staffordshire, England. Though Whieldon was not the only potter that Spode worked with he was considered to have the most influence on him. In 1776 Spode owned his own factory – which is still open to this day and is considered to be the oldest porcelain factory in existence.
Josiah Spode II inherited his father’s factory and opened up a gallery in London to show off his father’s best pieces. The porcelain on display was made with an ancient ceramic material that had been perfected on by the Chinese people. Some of the earliest forms of this work date back all the way to the 7th century.
Porcelain is a more common name used for china. There are three types that include; soft paste, hard paste, and bone china. Josiah Spode II created bone china in 1800 by adding bone ash to the porcelain formula. This created the hardest and most durable porcelain of its time. The bone ash is the most important ingredient used because it helps to balance the kaolin and petuntse. This allows it to be more resilient and gives it the white ivory color it is known for.
The bone ash comes from a variety of animals whose bones have been burned and pulverized. The tissue is removed from the bones before they are heated at temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees. The ash is then crushed down to a fine powder and combined with water before it is mixed in with the other ingredients to make the porcelain.
How Valuable Is Bone China
There are now many manufacturers that will produce bone china plates. Most people who collect antiques though will choose to collect the Spode bone china that is still being produced. Each manufacturer will use a signifying mark to help the collector identify where it came from and how old it is.
If you are in search of bone china plates and other items that are valuable to add to your collection than you will want to choose ones that are produced by famous makers or manufacturers. The price or value will vary depending on how popular the maker, how rare the piece is, how old it is, and what type of piece it is.
The most common factor to consider it what condition it is in. Although this is one of the most resilient types of porcelain it can still be fragile and must be handled with care. Any chips, crazing, cracks, or breaks, no matter how small they may be, will depreciate the value and the beauty of the piece.