Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory Värmdö, Sweden Jar with Cover 1899 Glazed porcelain Designed by Josef Ekberg 1877-1945 22-3/4 inches high, 13 inches in diameter Gift of the Decorative Arts Council and Daniel Morris and Denis Gallion, Historical Design Collection, New York 94.35a,b

The Industrial Revolution came later to Sweden than to England. The first land-based steam engine was installed in 1807, allowing the emergence of the modern factory and large-scale production of ceramic goods. With the introduction of automation, pottery wheels were driven by belts and powered by steam engines, greatly increasing the efficiency of ceramic production.

Gustavsberg was one of only two manufacturers of porcelain in Sweden in the nineteenth century. In the eighteenth century, most porcelain goods were imported from China. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, Swedish factories were producing quality porcelains using varying amounts of a white clay called KAOLIN, the most essential ingredient.

Although many pieces were made in molds, vases and jars were THROWN on a potter's wheel. To perfect the final shape, the potter held a wood or porcelain mold against the inside of the jar while following the outside with his other hand. Faults were smoothed out on a turning lathe after the piece was partially dry. When completely dry, it was polished, placed in a SAGGER (a protective clay box), and fired in a kiln. The temperature for firing varied with the quality of the porcelain; the higher the temperature, the greater the porcelain's strength and impermeability. After the first firing, the jar was decorated and GLAZED, according to the dictates of the designer, and then fired a second time. Some designs were mass produced using stencils or templates. Glaze "recipes" were developed to produce consistent, specific colors.¹ The Gustavsberg factory became famous for the matte green glaze and SGRAFFITO decoration found on this covered jar. Sgraffito is achieved by overlaying the clay body with a thin layer of glaze or SLIP in a contrasting or darker color; then the overlayer is partially scraped away to form a pattern and reveal the color beneath. When the object is fired, the pattern is slightly raised from the surface. This emphasizes the decorative MOTIFS or outlines the forms.

Notes

1. The process for producing porcelain is described by Bengt Nyström in Rörstrand Porcelain: Art Nouveau Masterpieces (New York: Abbeville Press, 1996), pp. 76-78.

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