Statistical Evaluation of Analytical Data for Eighteenth- Century American and British Sulphurous Phosphatic Porcelains

摘要

THE PAST FEW decades have seen a proliferation of analytical (compositional) data for historical ceramics, most notably eighteenth-century American and British porcelains. These data provide an objective means of characterizing these diverse wares and therefore are useful in provenance and authentication studies. Moreover, when coupled with archival information, analytical data can help trace the dispersion of trade secrets to early porcelain manufacturers not only across Great Britain but also to its North American colonies. Information about ceramic paste and glaze ingredients, their proportions, and other technical aspects of the manufacture of porcelain was transferred from factory to factory by workers changing employment or setting up their own potworks. Some of these workers are identified by historical documents. The influence they had on the wares produced by established or new enterprises is confirmed by comparing the type and composition of porcelain made by the new and previous factories where these migrant artisans worked.