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Paging Dr. Wall! Trivia Quiz

Worcester porcelain met an eighteenth-century demand for useful wares and superb cabinet art. Learn some of the details here!

A multiple-choice quiz by ragiel. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
ragiel

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
148,643

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
345

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. So who was this Dr. John Wall anyway? Hint

He was a physician practicing in Worcester during the eighteenth century

He was one of fourteen men who founded a corporation in Worcester in 1751. Their intent was to manufacture a porcelain that could compete with Chinese imports

He was a porcelain enthusiast and a chemist. He was interested in developing a new type of English porcelain

All of these

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Question 2 of 10

2. Hard paste? Soft paste? These terms are used repeatedly in describing the development of European porcelain. Which of the following statements is inaccurate? Hint

Hard paste refers to the high-temperature "hard firing" required to vitrify it

Hard paste was made from kaolin, a pure form of clay

Soft paste was an attempt to re-create Chinese porcelain

Soft paste was made of a variety of substances, some of which were actually harder than hard paste

3. Excavations at the factory site suggest that the original formula was not successful. At that point, an alternative formula was purchased from Benjamin Lund, its developer. Lund had tried without success to manufacture his porcelain in where? Hint

Derby

Plymouth

Bow

Bristol

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Question 4 of 10

4. I'm now looking at two early saucers and notice that one was decorated with blue transfer printing, while the other was painted with a brush. What does this fact tell me about their relative age? Hint

Nothing in particular. Both techniques were used throughout the factory's years of production

The painted one is probably older because print decorating was not common in the 18th century

The print is probably older, because the expense of hiring painters was only practical after the factory started making a profit

Nothing in particular. Suitable prints could have been imported from China

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Question 5 of 10

5. Why was decoration applied under the glaze almost always blue? Hint

Blue pigments could be placed under the glaze and finished in a single firing

Surveys indicated that most people preferred blue

The cobalt pigment was relatively stable and thus convenient for mass production

Blue decoration made it easier to confuse with the more expensive Chinese ware

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Question 6 of 10

6. Dr. Wall retired in 1774. By this time, blue-and-white patterns with Chinese themes were no longer popular.

True

False

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Question 7 of 10

7. I just looked up the pattern on one of my printed saucers, and the book says it's so rare only two others are known! It must be worth more because of its rarity?

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. Reasons why Worcester was preferred to other English ceramic products did not include which? Hint

It didn't crack when hot water was poured into it

It was a lot cheaper

It didn't develop an unpleasant taste after repeated use

Reliable production meant the items and patterns could be supplied to order

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Question 9 of 10

9. What naturally-occurring mineral was the "secret ingredient" in the first successful Worcester porcelain? Hint

Soapstone

Obsidian

Limestone

Quartz

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Question 10 of 10

10. A porcelain formula similar in composition to first-period Worcester was used at which of these factories? Hint

Plymouth

Coalport

Chelsea

Caughley

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. So who was this Dr. John Wall anyway?

Answer: All of these

Dr. Wall, who was clearly a busy man, also promoted the use of the local Malvern spring water, which he claimed was good for the health because of its exceptional purity.

2. Hard paste? Soft paste? These terms are used repeatedly in describing the development of European porcelain. Which of the following statements is inaccurate?

Answer: Soft paste was made of a variety of substances, some of which were actually harder than hard paste

Hard-paste wares were imported from China. They were prized for their toughness, their translucence, and the bell-like ring they produced when tapped. Soft pastes were also translucent and resonant but all were softer, tended to be more brittle, and were difficult to shape and fire without deforming. Eventually, the addition of bone ash to a hard-porcelain formula resulted in a porcelain that was relatively easy to manufacture and combined the characteristics of both types. Bone china is the predominant British porcelain today.

Answer: Bristol

Two different soft-paste formulas were developed at Bow and Derby. An experimental hard paste was made in Plymouth, but found technically too difficult to be practical.

Answer: Nothing in particular. Both techniques were used throughout the factory's years of production

Transfer printing on ceramic wares was extremely popular through the 18th century. It was used both under and over glaze. Although the plates used to print the transfers required a skilled engraver and took time to produce, once the transfers were ready they required little skill to apply.

5. Why was decoration applied under the glaze almost always blue?

Answer: The cobalt pigment was relatively stable and thus convenient for mass production

Cobalt underglaze was developed during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Other underglaze pigments included copper red and manganese purple, but it was difficult to prevent these from discoloring. Chinese hardpastes could be decorated and glazed in a single firing, but this technique at Worcester resulted in an unpleasantly blurred decoration.

6. Dr. Wall retired in 1774. By this time, blue-and-white patterns with Chinese themes were no longer popular.

Answer: False

Underglaze blue designs were still being produced at Worcester, but at this time the quality of their products was inferior to comparable Caughley products. This style of decoration has retained its appeal to the present.

7. I just looked up the pattern on one of my printed saucers, and the book says it's so rare only two others are known! It must be worth more because of its rarity?

Answer: False

Some collectors might pay a premium for a very rare pattern, but many prefer more common patterns which can be matched easily.

8. Reasons why Worcester was preferred to other English ceramic products did not include which?

Answer: It was a lot cheaper

Worcester prices were comparable to those of imported Chinese ware, and were expensive relative to delft, creamware, and other potteries. In addition to the qualities listed above, they had an Asian-European style which many customers found appealing.

9. What naturally-occurring mineral was the "secret ingredient" in the first successful Worcester porcelain?

Answer: Soapstone

Also referred to as "soapy rock" in contemporary documents. A lease on a soapstone mine in Cornwall was purchased along with the Bristol formula.

10. A porcelain formula similar in composition to first-period Worcester was used at which of these factories?

Answer: Caughley

The Caughley factory was founded by Worcester decorator Thomas Turner in 1975. He had designed and engraved many of Worcester's most popular blue-and-white patterns. Sometimes he is credited with originating the "Bluebird" pattern, which was copied on every type of popular dinnerware and is still being produced. Since they were done by the same artist, Caughley patterns resembled Worcester's closely.

A Caughley cup and a Worcester saucer can sometimes be matched successfully. Turner closed the factory and sold his equipment to the fledgling Coalport factory in 1799. Coalport made the newer bone china. Chelsea was a soft paste of fine quality.

Their decorative pieces are highly prized, but too fragile for daily use. Plymouth produced some hard paste prototypes, but switched to bone china for technical reasons.

Source: Author ragiel

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor silverginger before going online.
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