CORALENE Technique: A patent filed by Alban L. Rock on behalf of Vantine’s Oriental Emporium in 1908 (allowed in 1909) for a “Pottery Ornamentation” provides us with the process to create this beautiful, popular technique. In the patent we learn a portion of the ware is covered in a suitable decoration and the rest is decorated in glass bead ornamentation. Basically, to create the coralene décor the following instructions are followed: an outline of the bead design is done by a specially prepared pigment that results in a gold moriage outline when fired. Ground together well are a fusible matter with dry porcelain pigment or color to which a percentage of water is added (the patent also says this can be separated into two steps). The shade of the color must be carefully chosen as there seems to be sensitivity to the hues and the firing temperature that it will undergo. To the wet area, clear, small, spherical glass beads are pressed into the medium. The vase is then fired in the usual manner which fuses the rear portions onto the porcelain body to fix them permanently with the design outlined in gold moriage. The beautiful color seen is refracted through the beads – this gives these items a plush appearance.

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