It is uncertain at what date Chinese porcelain was first brought to Europe. Amongst the earliest known pieces in England are some bowls given by Philip of Austria to Sir Thomas Trenchard in 1506. But whatever the date, it was inevitable that attempts should be made to imitate this beautiful ceramic. Florentine or Medician porcelain was made 1575-80. It was not however until 1690 or 1700, that a similar manufacture was established at Rouen and St. Cloud. In 1709, Bottcher commenced making hard porcelain at Meissen, in Saxony, subsequently producing some excellent examples about 1715. This was the commencement of the well-known Dresden china. In 1768, the manufacture of hard porcelain was adopted at Sèvres, replacing that of “pâte tendre” which had been in use from 1670. Both “pâte dure” and “pâte tendre” were made at Buen Retiro in Madrid, A.D. 1759, all the porcelain manufactured for the first 20 years being kept for the exclusive use of the Royal family. There are some finely modelled Buen Retiro tiles in the Royal Palace at Madrid. About the year 1740 the manufacture of porcelain was established at Bow, Chelsea, Derby, Plymouth, Bristol, and Worcester. The shapes and ornamentation of these English porcelains, having no traditions beyond the oriental influence, were of a low artistic order, being simply copies of natural forms, without any controlling influence as regards design or harmonious arrangements. A lavish use of gilding was also characteristic of this period, the ornament being very largely misapplied. This continued to grow worse until the middle of the last century, when it reached its culminating point of absurdity and extravagance of form and decorations. The best examples of English porcelain of this period are obviously copies of oriental porcelain, chiefly Persian and Chinese. A great advance in the technic of the porcelain produced in this country took place after the discovery of Kaolin, in Cornwall, by William Cookworthy, 1755. Transfer printing over the glaze was adopted at Worcester about 1757, the transfers being taken from copper plates engraved by Robert Hancock, a pupil of Ravenet, who was employed at the Battersea enamel works, about 1750. Sadler and Green in 1756 also adopted over glaze printing on the Liverpool delft. About 1770, under glaze printing on the biscuit ware superseded the over glaze process. Of early English porcelains, those of Derby are, perhaps, the most refined in form and in treatment of decoration, the plates, cups, and saucers having borders of blue or turquoise, with enrichments of festoons, leaves, and flowers; many of the cups were pressed with fluted, ribbed, or imbricated patterns. The Derby works were founded in 1757 by William Duesbury, who in 1769 purchased the Chelsea works and carried on the two simultaneously until 1784, when the Chelsea plant was transferred to Derby. From 1769-73 the ware called “Chelsea-Derby” was produced, and between 1773-82 “Crown-Derby” was introduced.