Antique ceramics are undoubtedly charming and the perfect subject to start up an antique collection. An abundant amount of ceramics on the market were made during the Victorian period and the beginning of the 20th Century, however, the history of ceramics can be dated back thousands of years where the first form of ceramics were earthenware, pots and vessels and were made from clay.
Antique ceramics come in many art forms including figurines; tableware; tiles and sculptures and particularly decorative pieces in some cases, can be highly sought after. Ceramic art is apparent across an array of cultures and can be traced from Ancient China, across the Far East and Europe throughout the ages.
As ceramic manufacture spread throughout Europe, France produced some of the best soft-paste porcelain, by the 18th Century Europe was as successful as China in its porcelain production. Hard paste porcelain originated in Germany in a factory at Meissen in 1710, it was here the porcelain figurine was created, at the same time bone china began to be produced in English potteries.
There are three predominate types of ceramic material, these are earthenware ceramics, stoneware ceramics and porcelain ceramics. Porcelain made in the west is generally categorized into hard paste porcelain, soft paste porcelain and bone china and decoration is either underglaze, overglaze, printed or painted.
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Collectables/Designers
The word ‘ceramics’ originates from the Greek word ‘keramikos’, which translates to ‘pottery’. This is not to say that the most desirable ceramics are Greek; ceramic art developed in the majority of cultures and many of the most desirable collectables and designers of antique ceramics are British.
Antique ceramics by designers such as Royal Doulton, Royal Worcester, Minton and Royal Derby are all wise investments as the antique ceramics produced by these designers were often crafted by highly skilled artists. Their ceramics were often delicate and their beauty entrancing.
These companies are still popular today and their pieces highly desirable. Minton for example is extremely valuable and is considered the top end of antique ceramics. Their ‘pate-sur-pate’ collection can reach astronomical prices; they are considered one of the ceramic world’s finest wonders. For attractive figurines, Royal Worcester and Royal Doulton are leaders in the field, whereas Royal Derby have produced some fine tableware.
