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EXPLORE BONE CHINA

Six ways in. Each subject begins simply and leads to deeper articles, and every article links sideways to related discoveries. Wander as far as you like — this page is always one click away.

Or take the guided story →
  1. 01HistoryHow a London experiment became Staffordshire’s great invention.
  2. 02MaterialTranslucency, whiteness, lightness, strength — and what links them.
  3. 03ScienceCalcium phosphate, vitrification, microstructure and the standards.
  4. 04CraftsmanshipWhy bone china is so demanding to make, and how it is decorated.
  5. 05Dining & CultureWhat plates do to the way we see and taste food.
  6. 06Makers & HeritageThe great houses of the past and the makers of today.

Trails through the collection

Curated paths that cross subjects. Start anywhere along a trail; each stop links to the next.

Trail · 5 stops

Follow the light

Translucency, microstructure, calcium phosphate, firing — and the standards that pin them down.

  1. Translucency
  2. Microstructure and light
  3. What bone china is made of
  4. Firing and vitrification
  5. Standards: what makes bone china “bone china”
Trail · 5 stops

British heritage

From a London patent to Josiah Spode, Staffordshire, the great houses and Royal Crown Derby today.

  1. Before bone china
  2. Josiah Spode and Staffordshire
  3. Industry and the wider world
  4. The great houses
  5. Royal Crown Derby in the directory
Trail · 5 stops

From the plate to the palate

Fine dining, the senses, plate design, tableware materials — and bone china.

  1. Bone china in hospitality
  2. We taste with more than the tongue
  3. Plate design and perception
  4. Bone china and other ceramics
  5. Why bone china
Trail · 5 stops

Thin, yet strong

Strength, thinness, making, edges and durability testing.

  1. Strength
  2. Lightness and thinness
  3. How bone china is made
  4. Why bone china is so demanding
  5. Standards: what makes bone china “bone china”
Trail · 4 stops

Living with bone china

Care, comparison, identification and sustainability.

  1. Care and everyday use
  2. Bone china and other ceramics
  3. How to identify genuine bone china
  4. Bone china and sustainability

The library, A to Z by subject

Every article in the Institute. Introductions first, then deeper articles, then reference pages.

History

  1. Before bone china Introduction
  2. Josiah Spode and Staffordshire Introduction
  3. A timeline of bone china Reference
  4. Industry and the wider world Deeper

Material

  1. Translucency Introduction
  2. Whiteness Introduction
  3. Lightness and thinness Introduction
  4. Strength Deeper
  5. Care and everyday use Deeper
  6. Bone china and other ceramics Reference

Science

  1. What bone china is made of Introduction
  2. Firing and vitrification Deeper
  3. Microstructure and light Reference
  4. Standards: what makes bone china “bone china” Reference
  5. How to identify genuine bone china Deeper

Craftsmanship

  1. How bone china is made Introduction
  2. Why bone china is so demanding Deeper
  3. Decoration and surface Reference
  4. Bone china and sustainability Deeper

Dining & Culture

  1. We taste with more than the tongue Introduction
  2. Plate design and perception Deeper
  3. Tableware and perceived value: the Ambiente studies Reference
  4. Bone china in hospitality Deeper

Makers & Heritage

  1. The great houses Introduction
  2. Directory of makers Reference

Quick answers

Understanding bone china — invented in China? bones? fragile? dishwasher? — plus a glossary and the reference library.