Parian ware is a form of decorative pottery that was popular from the mid 1800s to the 1920s. Primarily used for figurines and busts, the name comes from Paros, a Greek island known for it’s classical white marble sculptures. Parian ware is made with a self glazing white porcelain clay that’s high in feldspar and resembles marble when fired.
No one company can claim credit for first making parian ware. French potteries were making bisque pottery, which was popular but had the downside of being soft and absorbing dirt. In the late 1840s, multiple British potteries took the bisque formula, tinkered with it and made it hard enough that dirt could not permeate the surface. A few potteries were on the project at the same time, so no one company stands out as the originator. One thing for certain, they knew they were onto something lucrative because there was high demand for the pieces made with this hard white porcelain clay.
Middle class Victorians craved sculpture for their homes to show how intellectual and worldly they were, but carved marble was cost prohibitive. The wealthy could afford marble, but everyman could not. Parian ware was the answer. People could “get the look” without the high price tag because it was made quickly and inexpensively via slip-casting. Slip-casting is a process where liquid porcelain is poured into detailed molds. The hard white porcelain pieces mimicked Carrara marble, had fine details and had a reasonable price, leading to great consumer demand.
As with most decor trends, many potteries rode the wave, including well-known makers Wedgwood, Rockingham, Minton, Copeland and T & R Boote. As it has always been, some of the makers were dedicated to producing quality pieces and others were in it for the fast buck, with speed not perfection being their motto, hence quality of pieces covers a wide range from exquisite to meh. Parian ware was also produced in the US by companies including the United States Pottery Company (1847-1858) and Fenton.
Subjects for parian ware figurines and busts are the usual suspects: characters from Greek and Roman mythology, Biblical figures, world leaders, historical personages, royals and great thinkers as well as the romantic pastoral figures so well beloved of Victorians. You’ll also find vases, bowls, boxes, pitchers and urns. If you could carve it from marble, you’ll find it in parian ware. Sculptors also took advantage of the trend, licensing reproductions of their famous works of art in a range of sizes. Multiple sources make the analogy that parian ware was to collecting sculpture what printing was to collecting art–a great democratizer.
When purchasing antique parian ware, you’ll find a variety of quality and prices. Well-made large busts sell for $1500-4000. True Victorian figurines cover a range from $25 to several hundred dollars depending on quality, size and level of detail. Modern reproductions, like the Portmeirion British Heritage Collection can be had starting at $10 on eBay.
When you’re buying, first consider if you love it, and second consider quality and condition. Fine makers made fine quality parian ware. Many of these pieces have the maker’s marks. Lesser quality pieces may have uneven bases and bubbles in the casting and are likely unmarked. If condition is important to you, pay particular attention to the small details, these pieces are over 100 years old. Although parian ware is hard, things like fingers are prone to breakage.
Parian ware pieces that caught our eye on Etsy
These sites were helpful in writing this post:
Collecting Parian Figures, Homes and Antiques
Preparing for ‘Flux’: Object Processing on a Large Scale, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge UK
English Parian Ware: The Statues of the People, Bonhams Skinner
For an well written and well worth the time deep dive, Parian Porcelain Statuary: American Sculptors and the Introduction of Art in American Ceramics on the Chipstone Foundation site is fantastic.
