Bone China Antiques

Bone China Antiques

Bone China was developed by Josiah Spode in 1800 in England, as an inexpensive version of real porcelain. This however, did not happen; bone china was seen as superior to porcelain because of its lighter weight, reception of bright colors and because of it pure white color. Most of the bone china was marked when it was made, so it is very easy to identify. Some of the most notable manufacturer's of bone china are: Spode, Minton, Davenport, Coalport, and Worcester. Other manufacturer's emerged a little later such as Wedgwood in 1812, and Rockingham in 1820.

Spode
Josiah Spode started a small pottery shop in 1770. He refined the process of blue under glaze printing on earthenware. This achievement earned him a great reputation, but his development of bone china was what earned Josiah Spode a place in history. The Spode pottery company still produces from its original site. The company has a well documented history and has on record all of the variations of its stamps from its beginning, so you should be able to date any piece relatively accurately.

Minton
Minton ware was produced in a factory in Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Thomas Minton started the factory in 1793. The factory at first manufactured Parian porcelain, cream-colored and blueprinted earthenware, and Majolica. Thomas Minton became famous for the willow pattern. Minton did not start production of bone china until 1820.