Rouen manufactory
Encyclopedia
The Rouen manufactory was an early French manufactory for faience
and soft-paste porcelain
, located in Rouen
, Normandy
.
of France, and specifically frit
porcelain, was produced at Rouen
in 1673, in order to mimic "la véritable porcelaine de Chine" ("The true porcelain of China"). The new soft-paste porcelain material was invented by the potter
Louis Poterat. The soft porcelain used blue designs of the type already used in the faiences of the period.
The porcelain at Rouen became known as "Porcelaine française". These were developed in an effort to imitate high-valued Chinese hard-paste porcelain
. These events followed the creation of the French East India Company
in 1664, and the influx of Chinese wares it generated.
The Rouen paste was very light, lighter than any other French make except Sèvres porcelain, and clearly less amber than Saint-Cloud porcelain
.
The Rouen porcelain manufactory closed in 1696. Contrary to the Saint-Cloud manufactory
, Rouen porcelain was only produced on a small scale, and failed to be commercially viable. It was characterized by an intense blue glaze, and minimalist blue decorations which only occupied a small portion of the available space in any given object.
products continued to be produced however.
Rouen ceramics were copied extensively, by manufactories such as the Sinceny manufactory
, founded in 1713, when potters from Rouen
moved there to establish their own venture, or by Saint-Cloud manufactory
.
Faience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
and soft-paste porcelain
Soft-paste porcelain
Soft-paste porcelain is a type of a ceramic material, sometimes referred to simply as "soft paste". The term is used to describe soft porcelains such as bone china, Seger porcelain, vitreous porcelain, new Sèvres porcelain, Parian porcelain and soft feldspathic porcelain, and is also used more...
, located in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
Soft-paste porcelain (1673–1696)
The first soft-paste porcelainSoft-paste porcelain
Soft-paste porcelain is a type of a ceramic material, sometimes referred to simply as "soft paste". The term is used to describe soft porcelains such as bone china, Seger porcelain, vitreous porcelain, new Sèvres porcelain, Parian porcelain and soft feldspathic porcelain, and is also used more...
of France, and specifically frit
Frit
Frit is a ceramic composition that has been fused in a special fusing oven, quenched to form a glass, and granulated. Frits form an important part of the batches used in compounding enamels and ceramic glazes; the purpose of this pre-fusion is to render any soluble and/or toxic components insoluble...
porcelain, was produced at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
in 1673, in order to mimic "la véritable porcelaine de Chine" ("The true porcelain of China"). The new soft-paste porcelain material was invented by the potter
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
Louis Poterat. The soft porcelain used blue designs of the type already used in the faiences of the period.
The porcelain at Rouen became known as "Porcelaine française". These were developed in an effort to imitate high-valued Chinese hard-paste porcelain
Hard-paste porcelain
Hard-paste porcelain is a ceramic material that was originally made from a compound of the feldspathic rock petuntse and kaolin fired at very high temperature. It was first made in China around the 9th century....
. These events followed the creation of the French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
in 1664, and the influx of Chinese wares it generated.
The Rouen paste was very light, lighter than any other French make except Sèvres porcelain, and clearly less amber than Saint-Cloud porcelain
Saint-Cloud porcelain
Saint-Cloud porcelain was a type of soft-paste porcelain produced in the French town of Saint-Cloud from the late 17th to the mid 18th century.-Foundation:...
.
The Rouen porcelain manufactory closed in 1696. Contrary to the Saint-Cloud manufactory
Saint-Cloud porcelain
Saint-Cloud porcelain was a type of soft-paste porcelain produced in the French town of Saint-Cloud from the late 17th to the mid 18th century.-Foundation:...
, Rouen porcelain was only produced on a small scale, and failed to be commercially viable. It was characterized by an intense blue glaze, and minimalist blue decorations which only occupied a small portion of the available space in any given object.
Rouen faience
After the end of porcelain production, various faienceFaience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
products continued to be produced however.
Rouen ceramics were copied extensively, by manufactories such as the Sinceny manufactory
Sinceny manufactory
The Sinceny manufactory was a French producer of ceramics, especially faience, located in the city of Sinceny, Picardie, France....
, founded in 1713, when potters from Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
moved there to establish their own venture, or by Saint-Cloud manufactory
Saint-Cloud porcelain
Saint-Cloud porcelain was a type of soft-paste porcelain produced in the French town of Saint-Cloud from the late 17th to the mid 18th century.-Foundation:...
.