Art and Architecture Collection > Historic Pottery and Porcelain > Reference Resources by Topic:

Western European

Albia, Jean d’. La Porcelain de Limoges. Paris: Sous le Vent, c1980. (3-MPGG+ 85-1802)
A thorough history of Limoges porcelain workshops and manufacturers from the eighteenth through twentieth centuries. Emphasis on stylistic and technical evolution.  

Ducret, Siegfried. German Porcelain and Faience. New York: Universe Books, 1962. (MPGK+)
A short history of German, Austrian, and Swiss ceramic producers and significant makers’ marks.  

Fay-Halle, Antoinette. Porcelain of the Nineteenth Century. New York: Rizzoli, 1983. (MPG+ 84-718)
A general survey of porcelain production throughout Europe during that century. Emphasis on artistic styles, marks, and factories.  

Hildyeard, R.J.C. European Ceramics. London: V & A Publications, 1999. (3-MPG 99-7517)
Highly illustrated survey of Western European pottery from the 1500s through the twentieth century.

Honey, W.B. European Ceramic Art, From the End of the Middle Ages to About 1815. London: Faber and Faber, 1963. (MPG)
This work provides a cogent history of stylistic and technical developments in ceramic production, and describes the rise of the major manufacturers.

Jonge, Caroline Henriette de. Delft Ceramics. New York: Praeger, c1970. (MPGH)
Covers the history of Dutch faiences from Delft and their evolution.  

Lemaire, Jean. La Porcelaine de Tournai: Histoire d’une Manufacture, 1750 – 1891. Tournai: Renaissance du Livre, 1999. (3-MPGG 00-9784)
A history of the Tournai Porcelain Manufactory in Belgium that focuses on both technical and aesthetic development. Lists museums and public institutions that own Tournai porcelain.

Liverani, Giuseppe. Five Centuries of Italian Majolica. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1960. (3-MPGD+)
Traces the production history of this specialized ceramic from its origins to the seventeenth century. Lists important artists, workshops, and potteries.  

Meister, Peter Wilhelm. European Porcelain of the 18th Century. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1983. (3-MPG+ 84-1413) This book covers all the ceramic production centers active during the eighteenth century. Biographical sketches of artists and artisans. Significant iconographic imagery, collectors, and patrons are also treated.  

Morley-Fletcher, Hugo. Antique Porcelain in Color: Meissen. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1971. (MPGK+ 75-443)
A general, well illustrated guide to the history of this manufacturer.  

Pelichet, Edgar. Merveilleuse Porcelaine de Nyon. Paris: La Bibliotheque des Arts, 1973. (MPGG+ 74-1144)
A detailed history of this important manufacturer from Switzerland. Technical production is emphasized. Includes such authentication information as marks, and tips on how to detect forgeries.  

Pinot de Villechenon, Marie Noelle. Sevres: Porcelain from the Sevres Museum, 1740 to the Present Day. London: Lund Humphries; dist. by Antique Collector’s Club, 1997. (3-MPGG 97-4934)
Traces the history of the stylistic development of Sevres from its founding until 1992. Also lists the manufacturer’s directors and curators.

Plinval de Guillebon, Regine de. Faience et Porcelaine de Paris: VXIII-XIX Siecles. Dijon: Editions Faton, 1995. (3-MPGG+ 95-8765)
Covers the major manufacturers and workshops that made this city famous for ceramic production in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Provides map locations for manufacturers.

Rontgen, Robert E. The Book of Meissen. Exton, PA: Schiffer Pub., 1984. (3-MPGK) 
This manufacturer history is intended to aid identification of genuine and forged pieces. Useful description of the company’s other products: sculptural art, ceramic medals, coins, lithophanes, and tiles. 

Ware, George W. German and Austrian Porcelain. Frankfurt am Main: L. Woeller Press, 1952. (MPGK)
Written for both collectors and scholars, this work includes a general history of German and Austrian porcelain production and their marks. One chapter is devoted to issues relating to practical collecting and restoration.  

Winstone, H.V.F. Royal Copenhagen. London: Stacey International, 1984. (MPG 88-3062) 
An excellent history of the manufacturer, with detailed emphasis on stylistic development from 1775 to the 1980s. Contains an authoritative guide to factory marks, artists and their signatures.