MANUFACTURING

Haviland porcelain has always combined modern demands with creative craftsmanship. The finishing and decorating artistic work are all realized by hand, by highly skilled and truly passionate artists.

RAW PORCELAIN

Kaolin, feldspar and quartz are the principal components of porcelain. These items are placed in a grinder where they are crushed and mixed with water. The mixing takes several hours.

Depending on the manufacturing process, three consistencies of porcelain solution are used:

• For jiggering, a soft mixture
• For casting, a liquid form called « barbotine»
• For pressing, a dry granulated mixture

 

THE CREATION OF MODELS AND MOLDS

Everything begins in the modeling workshop. An artist sculpts original creations in plaster. Time-consuming delicate work is necessary to perfect these forms. This is followed by the creation of production molds, which are produced in plaster from the original models.

Jiggering: The mold gives the exterior shape to each piece while a steel calibrator creates the interior shape.

Casting: Pieces with more complex shapes are produced through casting. Liquid porcelain flows evenly over the walls of the mold and dries. When the desired thickness is achieved the excess porcelain is eliminated.

Pressing: Pieces are pressed in a mold with a dry, grainy mixture of porcelain.

Garnishing: Handles, spouts and knobs molded independently, are glued to finished pieces using a liquid mixture of similar composition.

Finishing: After drying, the finishing process removes «seams» left by the mold. Each piece is now perfectly smooth.

The "degourdi" firing: At this stage, the porcelain undergoes its first firing at approximately 950°C. This firing gives porcelain resistance and makes it porous, a necessity for enameling.

Enameling: Silica, pegmatite, kaolin and lime are mixed with water. The porcelain is plunged into this enamel mixture that gives it brilliance, sheen and translucency.

The "grand feu" firing: The second firing lasts for about 24 hours at a final temperature of 1,400°C and produces physical changes that allow the enamel to fuse with the porcelain body. Enameled porcelain pieces are referred to as «le blanc». A quality control is performed on each item before it is sent to the decoration workshop.

The Chromolithography Atelier

The Maison Haviland owns a Chromolithography printing atelier to master the excellence of the pattern. To adapt to the different forms with harmony, and to reveal the colours with alchemy of the kiln, require rigour and exigency.

The know-how, the experience and the skills of the artisans, are essential to master all these constraints and to guarantee optimal quality. Screen Printing is a printing technique that uses silk screens interposed between the ink and the support to print colors composed of mineral pigment or plants.

The Haviland laboratory conducts research to find the most innovative solutions to create bespoke projects. From the traditional “bleu de four” that has made the reputation of the Limoges Porcelain, to the organic colors with the reactive enamel effects, Haviland works with colors as a true artisan.

The magical know-how of Haviland continues to perpetuate with the same brilliance.

 

DECORATION

Gold, platinum and colored filigree as well as handle and knob garnishing are all applied with a brush by «spinners», the steady-handed artists of decoration in the decor workshop. Then another firing between 900°C and 1,250°C adheres the decoration to the porcelain enamel.

 

INCRUSTATIONS

The porcelain jewels require artistic talent and long hours of detailed hard work. More than eleven intricate steps are required to create incrustations.

A protecting coating is applied to all areas of the porcelain that will not be encrusted. The piece is plunged into an acid bath which etches the enamel and leaves relief in the areas to be polished. The piece is then cleaned. A first coat of brilliant gold is applied with a brush. The piece is then fired at a temperature of 810°C. A second coat of matte gold is then applied and the piece is fired again at 850°C. The gold is gently polished with very fine sand, to accentuate the difference between the matt area (engraved portion) and the brilliant area (the non-engraved portion of the decor).

Among the exceptional inlay collections, Haviland presents prestigious museum reproductions: Feuille d’Or (1912), Grand Apparat (1883) and patterns inspired by unique oriental fabrics and ornaments of the 12th & 13th centuries: Bassora.