The Discovery of European Porcelain Technology

TL;DR

This paper explores the collaborative European effort behind the development of porcelain technology, emphasizing the roles of key figures and economic factors, and challenges the traditional attribution to Bottger.

Contribution

It reveals that European porcelain development was a state-led collective project, not solely the work of Bottger, highlighting Tschirnhaus's significant yet overlooked role.

Findings

Porcelain technology was a state project led by Tschirnhaus and supported by August the Strong.

The development process involved three distinct temporal stages.

Economic and philosophical factors influenced the technological advancements.

Abstract

The European quest for the hard paste porcelain lasted until about 1710, when the first production unit was built at Meissen in Saxony. Although, it is generally believed that Bottger discovered the European porcelain technology, this work shows that the German porcelain quest was a State affair; a collective project directed by Tschirnhaus and supported by August the Strong. It also aims to shed light to the reasons that led to Tschirnhaus's relative oblivion. Considering three distinct temporal stages, we re-examine the roles of the main contributors to the porcelain project, referring to the role of the Mercantilism system and to the philosophical roots of Tschirnhaus's method.