High fire fine china porcelains are produced withan ancient style of painting using a natural cobalt mineral ore, so it is easy to color and the color never fades. A saying often used by Mrs. Mottahedeh was “The height of good taste is the simple appreciation of blue and white.”
The Chinese were the first to use the cobalt blue imported from Persia. Cobalt blue porcelains can range from a crisp dark blue (fired at lower temperatures) brilliant violet blue (fired at medium temperatures) or pale and gray (fired at very high temperatures).
The best range of color to look for is the mid-range cobalt. It will appear slightly melted but the detail will be sharp, powerful but with great delicacy. Mix and match your blues for a pleasing effect in decoration and shape.
