re,
so that it lent itself beautifully to the production of white glazed
porcelain figures resembling in quality the white pieces of Fu-kien.

[Illustration: Capo-di-Monte Potters' marks; 1736, 1759, 1780.]

The factory at Capo-di-Monte was under the direct patronage of Charles
III., king of Naples. The earliest and best of its productions are in
pure white, probably made in imitation of Chinese white pieces, though
modelled in the form of natural shells supported by corals and
seaweed. Figure-modelling was also largely practised, and besides
groups of statuettes and figures in conjunction with vases, we have
the typical Capo-di-Monte examples in which vases, cups, saucers,
plates, &c., are covered with groups of figures modelled in high
relief on a minute scale. This trivial style of work is greatly
admired because of the minuteness of its execution. At a later period
the works was removed to Portici and ultimately to Naples, but after
about 1770 the classic style was adopted for the shapes and
decorations. The factory came to an end as late as 1820.

[Illustration: Buen Retiro Potters' marks.]

_Spain_.--Charles III. of Naples ascended the throne of Spain in 1759
and took with him to Madrid many of the workmen from the Capo-di-Monte
factory, as well as the best moulds and models. He established a new
china factory in the gardens of Buen Retiro, a palace outside Madrid.
As long as Charles III. lived immense sums were lavished on this
factory, and the ware was not allowed to be sold, but was either used
for the decoration of the royal palaces or for presentation to other
European sovereigns. Enormous vases were made, following the example
of Sevres, and these were often filled with bouquets of flowers
modelled in porcelain. The most famous productions of this factory,
however, were the plaques and slabs of porcelain used for lining the
walls of certain rooms in the royal palaces. Two of these rooms still
remain, and are frightful examples of the Spanish _rococo_ style. The
factory was entirely destroyed in 1812 during the French war, and
since that date no porcelain of any importance has been made in Spain.

_English Porcelains of the 18th century._--There can be no doubt that
whatever experimental work may have been conducted by our early English
potters, such as the famous John Dwight of Fulham, nothing like an
established manufacture of porcelain exi