Page 79 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

CHAPTER 2 The Production of Enamelled Porcelain and Knowledge Transfer

Figure 2-6 Detail of Figure 2-5.

23
When the glazing was finished, the wares were placed inside saggars which

were piled in the kiln in a particular order to fire, at a temperature about 1200-

24
1400 °C. Saggars were boxes made of rough clay which were used to protect the

porcelain from air blasts and fierce flames during the firing. The firing took about

three days, and early on the fourth day, the kiln could be opened. The saggars were

still hot, so workmen (Figure 2-7) had to wear gloves when removing porcelain pieces.

The saggars were depicted in red colour in Figure 2-7, indicating the high temperature

of the kiln.

23 A saggar is a type of kiln furniture. It is ceramic container used in the firing of pottery to protect
ware being fired inside a kiln.
24 Kerr and Wood, Ceramic Technology, p.9.
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