Ceramics - How it's made | Ceramic Tiles

 

HAND-MAKING FAIENCE 

Another process deserving of mention is the making of " faience "– the name, derived from the once famous Italian pottery centre of Faenza, being applied in the tile trade to the hand-made pieces, often large and elaborate, used particularly for fire-place work. Here – as in the making of "Recesso" fittings, but to a much greater degree – handicraftsmanship still comes into play. The faience worker forms his wares out of a plastic clay compound, usually of coarse texture, which he presses and kneads by hand into every corner of the plaster mould from which it is to get its shape. As each piece becomes sufficiently dry and stiff he removes it from the mould and carefully trims and finishes it by hand. Apart from the greater latitude of design and less mechanical appearance of faience as compared with die-made tiles, faience has the advantage that its more open body has an unusual capacity for withstanding sudden changes of temperature. For this reason it is particularly suitable for use in fire surrounds, in which it is employed especially for those parts most directly exposed to heat.

Making Faience Ware from plastic clay.

 

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From: "A Century of Progress 1837-1937" a publication to commemorate The Centenary of Richards Tiles Ltd.