FAIENCE MANUFACTURING PHASES

The creation of a faience fireplace is absolutely incredible.

How can such an object of art be created from a bag of clay?

Faience manufacturing phases :

1. The raw material, argile clay, is mixed with water and stirred constantly for 24 hours.

2. The smooth paste is then poured into a mould. Plaster moulds are used. Several moulds are sometimes required to produce one single component. The paste is left to dry for one day.

3. The component is not properly finished when the mould is removed. Manual trimming is necessary. All waste is re-used.

4. The components are then ready to be decorated. The components must dry for another 2 days until they reach that "bone-dry" appearance.

5. Decorating. It takes 10 years to train a decorator.

The pattern is initially copied onto an overlay, which is perforated with small holes. The decorator stamps carbon on the overlay placed on the ceramic component.

The decorator then connects the holes to trace the pattern.

The decorator then fills the pattern with the colour prepared to complete the decoration.

1. The component is then coated with enamel using a gun. The decorative pattern will disappear. It will re-appear during baking with a glazed appearance.

2. The component is baked in a kiln with a gradual rise in temperature to 1100°C. The temperature will then drop over a period of 12 hours. The kiln is opened at 170°C, deliberately creating a thermal shock which gives the enamel its cracked appearance.

3. The faience is ready for assembly. Another 2 days are necessary before the fireplace can be assembled.

A total of 3 weeks are required to manufacture a faience fireplace. Each phase is validated by a craftsman on the basis of age old know-how.