Parian Porcelain - What is it? - Part 4

Sorry for the delay in my attempts to come to the end of this lengthy vintage article, with a 4 year old, working full-time (4 hr daily commute) and eBaying, I really do and try to make time to keep posting here regularly but something has to give and usually it is me giving into exhaustion. That whine being said, Part 4 of the Hobbies Aug. 1942 article on Parian:

Parian was a specialty of the Cannon Street Works, operated by Edward Steele. Adams and Bromley, also of Hanley, made exceptionally fine Parian busts, including that of Gladstone. There was still another potter here, operated by a Mr. Ash, which joined in the making of this popular product.

The Dresden Works at Tinkerclough made it in a cheaper grade for both the home (UK) and American markets. Daniel Sutherland of Longton in 1863 was making Parian jugs, brooches, crosses and other small trinkets. Parian was made at the Church Works in Longton before 1876 and by Mr. Wilson of Heathcote Road; and an especially fine quality was produced at the pottery of Joseph Holdcroft.

T. and R. Boote purchased the Waterloo Potteries at Burslem in 1850 and was one of the earliest cocncerns to include Parian among their productions. "Repentance, Faith, and Resignation," one of their known Parian groupd, is three figures grouped in front of a cross. Among the vases made by them were some of buff-colored Parian with raised, applied flowers in white. (my note - almost sounds like Wedgwood)

A company which manufactured Parian exclusively was Turner and Wood, established in 1850 at Stoke-upon-Trent. They made Parian animals and ornamental figures along with the usual line. Occasionally they decorated their Parian with majolica colors (earthtones).

Robinson and Leadbeater established a pottery at Stoke-upon-Trent in 1865. They also confined their production to Parian. Rock of Ages and a portrait statuette of Queen Victoria were among their best pieces. Mr. Leveson Hill, located at the Wharf Street Works in the same city between 1858 and 1879, made Parian figures, vases, flower stands, centerpieces or comports (compotes?), baskets, bouquet holders, trinket boxes, creamers, jugs, etc. He also made Parian busts of Gladstone, Disraeli, Tennyson, Dickens, Longfellow, Garfield, Abraham Linclon and other celebrities. Much of his Parian ware was shipped to this country. William Henry Goss, located on London Road after 1858, made Parian, terra-cotta, ivory porcelain, etc. his portrait busts in parian rank above the average. One of Queen Victoria was particularly lovely. He also made scent jars, tazzas, and bread platters of Parian.


Okay, looks like there may be 2 or 3 more parts to this, I wish I could sit and type all day but my RA really makes typing an arduous task at times. I will be posting some small tidbits of notes I find interesting in between the Parian posts. Thanks to my readers for their patience.

Parian Porcelain - What is it? Part II

From Hobbies August 1942 by Thelma Shull:

Continued -

One need only glance at a list of English potters who made Parian, many of whom exported large quantities to the United States, why it is still to be found in homes scattered over the country. Many American firms also made this ware.

At Copeland and Garrett's factory, they called their fine Parian figures and busts Statuary Porcelain. It had a silky texture and a slight glaze. Copeland made a wedding service for the Prince and Princess of Wales, Edward and Alexandra, and the large compote was upheld by four Parian figures representing the four continents: Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Matching smaller fruit dishes were made of soft porcelain, richly gilded, were each ornamented with a Parian figure. These represented Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

The Minton firm at Stoke-upon-Trent, England, exhibited their Parian ware at the Exhibition of 1851 and again at the United States International Exhibition of 1878. IN 1878 they were making both white and colored Parian.

With a radius of about ten miles in the northern part of the County of Stafford, England, were located the towns known as The Potteries, including Cobridge, Etruria, Burslem, Fenton, Tunstall, Longport, Shelton, (at one time called Hanley), Lane End, and several others. It was here that so much Parian, Majolica and Ironstone china was made and sent to America between 1850 and 1900.

Part III to come soon...

I was just wondering, the four continents? In 1942, we did know the world and that there 7 continents. Were these just the four that England still had empires in?

Parian Porcelain - What is it?

From Hobbies August 1942 by Thelma Shull:

Part I - (more to follow within the next few days)

Ever since its discovery about 100 years ago, Parian has been one of the most popular porcelain. The dainty figures, the interesting groups, and the well-known hand vases are sought for and prized by the collector of today.

There is always the question as to whether or not a colored porcelain can be called Parian. It was first used only for making busts, statues and other reproductions of large sculptured pieces; but later English and American potters broke away from the all-white Parian and applied color. The white marble which it imitated was quarried on the Isle of Paros in the Egean Sea; hence its name. If the ingredients used in the making of the pieces which are partly colored are the same as for other Parian porcelain, it seems simpler to call it colored Parian, regardless of the original meaning of the word. Parian has also been called Carrara Biscuit and Statuary Ware.


Some of the earlier pieces were made from a mixture of kaolin, felspar and glass, but the best Parian bodies were made from China-clay and felspar alone. It is fired at a temperature of 1150 to 1200 C. which is considerably lower than that needed for English bone porcelain.

Pieces which may be found in Parian include busts, figures, groups, vases, pitchers, candlesticks, clock franes, creamers, covered sugars, trinket or small ornamental boxes, baskets, ring holders, doll heads, animals, jugs, jewelry, and even platters!

During the process of firing, it shrinks about 25%. The various parts for a figure are cast separately and kater joined. It is this shrinkage which most be accounted for and the skillful joining of the parts after the firing which makes careful handling a requisite for the succesful manufacture of Parian.

Parian is seldom glazed but the better pieces have a soft luster. However, pitchers and vases and any pieces made to hold liquids are usually glazed on the inside. The Irish Belleek porcelain is a variety of Parian porcelain.

The famous old English firms of Copeland and Minton both claimed the honor of first making it. Each worked independently of each other, but chanced to place their product on the market at about the same time. However, Mr. Mountford, an ex-figure maker from Derby, and Mr. Bataam, both of whom worked for Copeland and Garrett, are usually given credit for the discovery of this particular type of porcelain. They were searching for the formula or an improvement on Sevres biscuit when they made this hard white body that so closely resembled Parian marble.

Sculptors were enthusiastic about this ware because they recognized the advantage of having their artistic creations duplicated a number of times at a price which would make them available to the public at large.

Parian was seldom marked and was made by so many different potters during the last half of the 19th century that one is seldom able to identify its origin. Occasionally one finds pieces which were marked or passed from well-authenticated sources to present owners and their history is therefore established.