Porcelain is a hard ceramic substance made by heating at high temperature selected and refined materials often including clay in the form of kaolinite.

The success of Capodimonte porcelains is certainly due to a fortunate harmonisation of the tender high feldspar and high quality dough. The tender dough allows the coating to “absorb” the decoration and therefore the miniatures seem as made “under the glass”. 

The dough is mainly made of kaolin, feldspar and quartz.

In the first working phase, each detail of the piece is hand manufactured.

After the drying, the piece goes through two phases: the first is a baking done at a temperature of 980°C; in the second the piece is hand decorated using lead-free colours under a varnish coat, and then the surface is covered with a glass paint made of silica (enamel); after this the porcelain is baked again at 1280-1380°C and its colours become timelessly bright and indelible.

The toughness, strength and translucence of porcelain arises mainly from the formation at high temperatures within the clay body of the mineral mullite and glass.

The manufacture of Biscuit, a soft white polished and transparent dough, is particularly famous.

 

Pictures document the manufacture of some our porcelains.