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looking for the chinese copper red formula

updated tue 31 dec 96

 

Talbott on sun 15 dec 96

Having viewed (only from books) the magnificence of the copper red
vases created in the Chung Dynasty..(forgive the spelling and probably
incorrect historical references) I can't help but wonder why todays potters
can't duplicate their work with all of our advanced technology.. I
understand that glaze thickness, amount of proper reduction, oxidation,
etc. are all critical factors... What are some good reference books on how
to possibly obtain some of these same effects that the Chinese were able to
obtain hundreds of years ago or was it thousands of years ago?... I do have
Michael Tuchane's book - Reds Reds Copper Reds and it is a super
reference...But if you know of others then please let me know...
Thanks....Marshall


Celia & Marshall Talbott
Pottery By Celia
Route 114
P.O. Box 4116
Naples, Maine 04055-4116
(207)693-6100 voice and fax
clupus@ime.net

Bill Aycock on mon 16 dec 96

One of the very old reference books I have, which is really a collection of
reviews of technical papers on ceramics, covers some microscopic analyses
done on broken Chinese Ox-blood red pots. They attributed the beautiful
colors to alternating layers of oxidized and reduced glaze. The explanation
they gave was that the stoking process, in which the fire box was filled,
allowed to burn down, then filled again, gave the change in
oxidation-reduction. The blend of the red and blue gave the Blood color,
rather than either the purer copper red or blue. The glaze itself was
refered to as Alkaline, with low percentages of copper, with the source
(oxide or corbonate, or ?) not known.

Made sense to me.

Bill- watching for the deer out the back window, on Persimmon Hill.

Bill Aycock --- Persimmon Hill --- Woodville, Alabama, USA
--- (in the N.E. corner of the State)
also-- W4BSG -- Grid EM64vr