Decals

At last the decals have arrived and I have had great fun placing them onto the gold tea-set whose provenance is still a bit of a mystery. The colours at first seemed too dull but apparently they should brighten up when fired. The name and date fits well around the gold crown mark on the bases.The bird image looks great on the teapot and I have hidden one or two small motifs under the plates and saucers. I had them fired but don't have images to show yet as the majority went off to be in a photo-shoot for Brides For Cornwall magazine straight from the kiln.
The image opposite shows the process of application. First the image is cut out carefully fairly close to the edge . It is then dipped into warm water and then slid into position on the pot . All excess water is removed first with a rubber kidney then a gentle dab with a paper towel . The ceramics are then fired to 850.
Postscript : 11/6/09 It looks as though the tea set is circa 1950 and a Japanese import and may be valuable. The Geisha in the bottom of the cup is a lithophane applied to the porcelain at the slip stage .