thickness. After pressing, the pieces were dried and were then either
turned on a lathe or rubbed down with sand-paper to reduce them to
sufficient thinness; while handles, spouts or other ornaments in
relief were applied with a lute of slip, as is customary with every
other species of pottery. The fragile objects were then fired into
what is known as the "biscuit" condition; the most difficult part of
the whole process. During this firing the pieces frequently went out
of shape because of the excessive shrinkage of the material and its
tendency to soften as it approached the melting point of the frit.
Consequently an elaborate system of "propping" the pieces had to be
resorted to, and even then a very large proportion became deformed.
When the porcelain was drawn from the oven after the first firing, the
supports were removed and the pieces were rubbed with sand to clean
the surface, and were then coated with glaze by sprinkling with a
brush; the glaze being a fusible glass very rich in lead. The glaze
coat was melted by refiring the piece at a lower temperature; and it
was frequently necessary to repeat this process several times in order
to get a perfectly even and brilliant result. The difficulties of such
a process were enormous, and it was only by the financial support of
wealthy patrons, or of the state, that such a method of manufacture
was ever carried on for any length of time. At its best the material
is an exceedingly beautiful one, lending itself especially to
decoration in on-glaze colours, and the pieces produced at Vincennes
and at Sevres, between 1745 and 1770 or thereabouts, form a distinct
class by themselves. Skilful chemists like Hellot and Macquer were
employed to direct the operations, and many beautiful ground colours,
such as the famous _gros-bleu, bleu de roi, rose Pompadour_, pea-green
and apple-green were invented.

_Sevres Porcelains._--The forms of the Sevres porcelain are exceedingly
varied. Many of the older shapes were designed by Duplessis, the king's
silversmith, and, as is perhaps natural, are more proper to metal than
to pottery; but the French glassy porcelain is such an artificial
material in every respect that such a point should not be strained too
far. Owing to the want of plasticity in the paste the pieces were always
made in moulds of plaster of Paris, while in many cases they were
moulded in separate parts and these unit