Satellite
Show on map
  • Day 91

    Coalport China Museum

    July 31, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Victorians loved their tea! This increased the demand for china. Coalport bone china was made in the Ironbridge area from 1795 to 1926. We saw so many beautiful original patterns, and learned how it was made.

    This is a bottle kiln. It is a chamber within a chamber, with coal fire pits all around the inside chamber. The clay pieces are put into containers called saggars; the saggars are then stacked into the inside chamber, and the fires lit. It a week to load the kiln, fire the china (1230 Celsius for the first firing), and let it cool. Then the pieces were dipped in a glaze and fired again. Finally they were decorated, fired at different temperatures for each color and fired once more after the application of gold. Of course, only the wealthy could afford to buy it!
    Read more