Bone China Mugs

Bone China Mugs

Bone china mugs lend your afternoon cup of tea an air of vintage elegance. This historic material has been used for hundreds of years, and is still prized today for its unique properties.

As the name might suggest, bone china is made using bones. It was first developed in the 18th century by English potters seeking an alternative to Chinese porcelain. Bones are heated to high temperatures to sterilise them and then ground into a fine bone ash. This ash is then combined with kaolin and Cornish stone and fired. The resulting china is stronger than porcelain or fine china, so it can be made much thinner. It also has a distinctive translucent white colour that holds enamel colours well. In most bone china, the bone ash makes up around 45 per cent of the formula. Typically cattle bones are used to make the bone ash, but other animals have been used as well.

Because bone china is durable and easy to colour, it can be decorated in a variety of ways. Bone china floral mugs demonstrate the intricacy of designs that are possible to achieve. Because of bone china’s long history, many modern manufacturers use designs inspired by vintage porcelain. However, not all designers draw their inspiration from the past, and there are plenty of bone china novelty mugs for people with less traditional tastes.

The bone ash content of bone china makes it stronger than either fine china or porcelain, and therefore more resistant to breakage. It is also less likely to develop edge chips than other porcelain materials. Some modern bone china mug manufacturers even make bone china that is dishwasher-safe. The advantages of bone china are not limited to durability, though. According to some tea experts, drinking tea from a mug made of bone china can actually improve the taste.

Bone china has been manufactured since the 18th century, and bone china production continues around the world today. Today, antique bone china mugs from the original English porcelain makers are highly sought after by collectors.