Chemical Expertise

Chemistry in the Royal Prussian Porcelain Manufactory

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3132830
AutoresUrsula Klein (Max Planck Society, autor de correspondencia)
Año2014
Volumen29
Número1
Páginas262-282
Fecha de publicación2014-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaOsiris (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0369-7827 • E-ISSN: 1933-8287
EditorialUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1086/678107
PMID26103759
OpenAlexW2054128101
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas11
Referencias citadas5

Eighteenth-century chemists defined chemistry as both a "science and an art." By "chemical art" they meant not merely experimentation but also parts of certain arts and crafts. This raises the question of how to identify the "chemical parts" of the arts and crafts in eighteenth-century Europe. In this essay I tackle this question with respect to porcelain manufacture. My essay begins with a brief discussion of historiographical problems related to this question. It then analyzes practices involved in porcelain manufacture that can be reasonably identified as chemical practices or a chemical art. My analysis yields evidence for the argument that chemical experts and expertise fulfilled distinct technical functions in porcelain manufacture and, by extension, in eighteenth-century "big industry," along with its system of division of labor

Archaeology · Art · Epistemology · Historiography · History of chemistry · History of science · The arts · Visual arts · Chemistry · Historical and Scientific Studies · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · History of Science and Natural History · Philosophy