[221] Before this time the gold had been simply laid on with japanner’s size and only gently heated. See Burton’s _English Porcelain_, p. 46. [222] There was a revival of the practice of mounting, or, to use the old term, ‘garnishing’ porcelain in ormolu about this time. At Boulton’s works at Soho, near Birmingham, famous, a little later, in the history of the steam-engine, these metal mountings were largely made, and Wedgwood began to apply them to some of his wares (see Nightingale, p. xxxiv.). [223] I can find no confirmation of the statement that Roubiliac modelled figures for Sprimont. Certain statuettes bearing an R. impressed on the paste have been attributed to him. There is no reference to any such work in the life of the artist by M. Le Roy de St. Croix (Lyons, 1886). Roubiliac, who died in 1762, was already in 1750 at the height of his reputation, and fully employed in more important work. [224] Mr. Burton points out that it would be quite impossible to make a translucent ware with the materials of the first patent. He doubts also the use of bone-ash in the earlier porcelain of Bow, the paste of which is distinctly of the Saint-Cloud type. I think, however, that there can be little doubt but that the ‘virgin earth’ refers to bone-ash, and the fragments from Bow in which this substance has been found seem to be derived from an early ware. [225] Specimens from this find may be seen at the British Museum, at South Kensington, and in the late Jermyn Street collection. An interesting and detailed account of the fragments, which were excavated and arranged by Mr. Higgins of the adjacent match-works, will be found in Chaffers’s _Marks_, pp. 908 _seq._ [226] This difficulty of making the decoration keep pace with the outturn of the kilns was felt at this time at other kilns--from King-te-chen to Sèvres and Worcester. Recourse was more and more had to the outside enameller--the ‘chamberer’--on the one hand, and to transfer-printing on the other. [227] This document is exhibited at the British Museum by the side of the punch-bowl. [228] These figures are probably exaggerated. Sprimont, a little earlier, says that he was employing at Chelsea ‘at least one hundred hands.’ [229] ‘Printed teas and mugs’ are mentioned in Bowcocke’s memorandum-book in 1756. [230] See Nightingale’s _English Porcelain_, pp. li. _seq._, and Bemrose’s _Bow, Chelsea, and Derby Porcelain_, pp. 153 _seq._ [231] The rococo vases, however, of this ware in the British Museum seem to be of a somewhat later date, if we take Sprimont’s work at Chelsea as a criterion. [232] These ‘Darby figars’ may possibly have been of earthenware. There are some richly painted statuettes of this material at South Kensington, though these indeed seem to be of a somewhat later date. [233] Mr. Bemrose, in his work on _Bow, Chelsea, and Derby Porcelain_, gives photographic reproductions of several pages from Duesbury’s work-book.