COLLECTED WORKS
WORCESTER PORCELAIN he early 18th century was a revolutionary time for European pottery makers. At long last they had discovered how to create porcelain, until then a secret known only to the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. Canny businessmen quickly spotted a tempting commercial opportunity: top-quality tableware didn’t necessarily need to be imported, it could be made at home! In Worcester, two such entrepreneurs, Dr John Wall and William Davis, devised their own ‘secret recipe’ for a porcelain that could withstand boiling water – a highly desirable property for any tea service – and successfully touted their business scheme to local investors. As a result ‘The Worcester Tonquin Manufactory’ was established in 1751. Royal Worcester, a world-famous brand to this day, traces its origin back to this ‘Manufactory’, although the connection has arguably been somewhat diluted by the fact that the original business merged with Spode in the 1970s and went into administration in 2008. Wares carrying the brand name – rights to which were acquired by the Portmeirion Group – are nowadays made in Stoke-on-Trent.
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| AUTUMN 2021 | Dales Life
