Soft-paste porcelain plate, about 1765. Museum no. 528-1902

Porcelain plate
Chelsea
England
About 1765
Soft-paste decorated in enamel colours with gold anchor mark
Museum no. 528-1902

Porcelain

Porcelain describes ceramics with a white body fired at a high temperature.

Soft-paste porcelains were made in Europe in imitation of East Asian porcelains. Soft-paste porcelain has a softer body than hard-paste porcelain and is slightly porous. The glaze is fired at a lower temperature than the body and sits on it as a distinct layer. Often on soft-paste porcelain the colours appear to sink into the glaze.