What Is A Bone Mug?
Tableware is usually well-liked due to its use, aesthetic look, and durability. One can say that bone mugs, also known as bone china, are one of the most preferred teaware. Bone china mugs are one of the finest forms of tableware and are very popular among elites worldwide. However, what is a bone mug, and why is it so well-known?
The most durable porcelain is bone china. Bone china is a form of porcelain made from bone ash, feldspathic matter, and kaolin. It is characterized as teaware that appears slightly translucent as it contains at least 30 percent calcium phosphate extracted from animal bone.
China is credited with developing the ceramic material known as porcelain. Porcelain artifacts from as far back as the seventh century exist. Since that’s where the material originated, porcelain is frequently referred to as china. Soft paste, hard paste, and bone china are the three different porcelain varieties. Here is all you need to know about bone china mugs.
All You Need To Know About Bone Mugs
Many people may not realize that bone mugs are made with real bones. Bone mug, frequently referred to as bone china, is a trendy type of china made from actual bones. These types of mugs are made from cow bone ash. In general, bone china is porcelain that contains 25% bone powder in the raw materials.
The content of the widely renowned bone powder is greater than 40% in some mugs. The best-textured bone china typically contains 45% high-quality cattle bone powder. If more than 40% of the ingredient is bone powder, the mug is a milkier white in hue and is considered top-quality bone china.
Bone china is somehow similar to how clay products are made. There is bone ash, feldspar kaolin clay, quartz, and other ingredients mixed and baked at 1200 degrees Celsius. High temperatures and the combination of different clay results in the formation of a glaze on the surface of these bone mugs.
Phosphate found in the bones also gives the bone china a vivid color and glaze. About 25 percent kaolin, 25 percent Cornish stone, and 50 percent bone ash make up the conventional bone china formula. The less iron-rich bones of cattle are utilized to make the bone ash used to make bone china. To create bone ash, these bones are pulverized, degelatinized, and then calcined at temperatures as high as 1250 °C.
The materials that bone china, fine china, and porcelain are composed of might appear quite similar. They are similar in some instances, but there are significant differences. As its name suggests, bone, particularly cow bone, is used to make bone china. Fine china is produced using the same procedures but without any actual bone.
Similar processes are used to make porcelain, but the final product is significantly tougher since porcelain is blasted at a higher temperature. Fine china or porcelain is produced during the firing process. The completed product is substantially more durable and is referred to as porcelain if the temperatures are high, roughly 1,455° Celsius.
Bone fine china is porcelain that has undergone a firing process at a temperature of 1,200°. Because fine china is significantly finer than porcelain, it is far more suited for uses like cups. There are two firing stages used with bone china. About 20% of the manufactured components will fracture and break during the initial stage, which causes the output to shrink.
The glaze is melted into the piece during the second firing, which takes place after the item has been glazed. The final patterns are applied to those who don’t fracture or break during this step. Although decals can occasionally be used, most components are manually painted or sprayed.
Who Invented Bone Mugs?
Suppose you’re wondering how bone china mugs came into existence. Because, let’s face it, no one would think of adding cattle bone powder to tableware. However, as with most things, bone mugs were not intentionally created at first. It all started as a drunken mistake.
Back in the middle 1700s, there was a gentleman by the name of Thomas Frye. He had a business that produced porcelain, and near his shop in England happened to be a slaughterhouse. His porcelain items, mainly his mugs, were not strong. Therefore, Frye was on the hunt for something to help strengthen his products.
He accidentally burned his neighbor’s cow bone dust. This led to him discovering that adding ground-up cow bone to his porcelain mixture actually made the porcelain stronger. Bone mugs are still porcelain, but naming them bone mugs indicates that there are actual bones in them. Bone mugs used to be called fine porcelain by Thomas in the year 1748.
His mugs used to have 45% of ground-up cow bone. Many decades later, a group by the name of Josiah Spode also started incorporating bone into mugs and creating pieces. At first, the pieces created were named stoke china by Josiah. This was in the year 1796. Josiah Spode II, a British potter, developed bone mugs between 1754 to 1827.
Later, his son enhanced the manufacturing procedure and changed the name to bone china in 1796. He is widely credited for creating bone china in the early 1800s. As a result, bone china is now known as English porcelain. As mentioned above, bones from the skeletons of cows and pigs are used to create bone china.
However, these bone mugs have undergone many changes as more and more technology has been invented. In modern fine china, jade or other phosphates are used in place of bone ash to provide the translucent appearance of the teaware. However, there are still several different percentages mixed in bone mugs by other manufacturers ranging from as low as 25% to as high as 45%.
Are Bone China Mugs Expensive?
Bone mugs are very expensive and can be challenging to maintain. Generally speaking, branded bone china mugs are usually more costly. Bone china is also readily available in the market, and the price range is extensive. To give you an idea of how pricey bone mugs can be, they are the only porcelain kind created by Western people in the world and are assigned a high-value appraisal.
Due to the more expensive ingredients, mainly bone ash, that lends the mugs an off-white color and the added work needed to create it, bone china is typically more costly than traditional china while still being lightweight and durable. However, not every bone china is made equal. The quality varies according to the proportion of bone in the mix.
Usually, the higher the bone ash in the mixture, the better the quality and the more expensive it gets. Due to the demands of industrialization and the advancement of technology and science, people don’t necessarily use animal bone.
Instead, a complex formula of calcium oxide and aluminum oxide that makes bone china more widely available is used. However, some raw materials, including bone, are still utilized to create a very small amount of high-grade bone china. Their worth is typically hundreds of pounds and even greater.
Are Bone China Mugs Safe To Use?
Suppose you’re wondering if bone mugs are safe to drink out of since they contain actual bones. In that case, the process of making bone mugs ensures that they are safe to use. No chemicals in bone china react with hot or cold drinks. Therefore, there are no side effects. Bone china mugs will be a problem for vegans and Muslims as they contain animal bones or are made using animal bones.
Why Are Bone Mugs So Popular?
There are several appealing traits about bone mugs that other teawares do not possess. One of the main reasons that it is very, very popular is that it is very sturdy, so the chances of the mug chipping are slim compared to other kinds of mugs made from other materials.
It has a very high whiteness level that increases its desirability. Bone china mugs are well-liked because they are whiter, making their print look sharper. Bone china is not as thick as other tableware, and compared to ceramic, you can say that it is pretty thin. Because of the color and brightness, it is no surprise that they are prevalent in elite families as they are ideal for serving high-end teas.
Given that it was created in the UK and that the early manufacturing rate of bone china is quite limited, it has long become special china for British royal families and therefore is held in great regard. In terms of physical and mechanical strength, chip resistance, and elevated levels of whiteness and translucency, bone china is the most durable type of porcelain or china ceramics.
What Are The Several Ways That You Can Identify Bone Mugs?
Suppose you are aware of what to look for. In that case, it’s simple to distinguish between bone china and porcelain at a glance. One of the ways that you can identify a bone china mug is by looking at the bottom. Most of them have been marked at the bottom on the outside. When you flip the mug over, you can see that they actually mention that it is a bone china mug.
The manufacturer or brand, like Royal Albert, which is a significant contributor as they make a lot of bone china patterns, is usually stated at the bottom of the mug too. Another way to distinguish bone mugs from other teaware is through their transparency. Bone china is so sturdy that it can be made thinner than other China.
This leads to the mug having a very high translucency. It is so translucent that when it’s held up to the light, you can somewhat see through the bone mug. So, for example, if you hold the mug up to the light and move your fingers at the bottom, you will be able to see the movement through the mug. This cannot be seen in other porcelain mugs.
What Distinguishes Chinese Porcelain From Bone China?
Chinese porcelain is made using porcelain stone, kaolin, as well as a tiny bit of lime. Clay, quartz, and bone powder are the main ingredients in bone china. Alumina and silica make up the bulk of Chinese porcelain’s chemical makeup, and calcium phosphate is added to bone china.
The bone powder contains calcium phosphate, which improves porcelain’s light transmission. The animal bone powder makes up 30-45% of general bone china. Bone porcelain is superior to regular porcelain in that it transmits light well and has a clear appearance. It can also be created thinner for greater feel and visual effects and has extra durability.
However, bone china’s flaws are also readily apparent. Because of its weak plasticity, it cannot be manually cast. In other words, because bone china must be made in vast quantities, it is uneconomical to create it on a small scale. Blue and white porcelain from China is fired at 1280. Bone China is also low-temperature porcelain fired at a temperature of roughly 1150 degrees Celsius.
Numerous metallic pigments can’t be colored at this temperature; they can only be embellished with glaze decals. Because of the two factors mentioned above, bone china can only really be manufactured industrially and not be artistically crafted like porcelain.
Are Bone Mugs Still Being Manufactured?
Yes, England continues to produce bone china. There is also a BBC documentary on the processing of all animal bones, particularly cow bones, into items that are so delicate they exactly resemble beautiful Chinese ceramics.
Bone china plates, bowls, and other items are beautifully made and pricey. This means that there is a high demand for them. That is one of the reasons that Spode is still manufacturing bone china.
Conclusion
Bone mugs are made from cattle bones that have been pulverized to ash. As with most creations, these mugs have undergone many changes. This offers a unique blend of desired traits, such as toughness, so they are chip resistant.
It may also be manufactured thinner than other forms of china due to its hardness, giving it a particularly appealing translucency. However, that also means they can be pricey. Overall, bone mugs are valuable.
