Did Someone Use This Ceramic/Porcelain Figurine as a Scratch Pad or What

This is a Royal Worcester figurine and I was wondering what all the scratchings on the bottom may mean? Doesn't look like it belongs there. She measures 7" high. TY!

BTW - I really can't always tell the difference between ceramic and porcelain.

 

I Googled "Royal Worcester 55% 56%" and found that Replacements.com has a bunch of listings which they claim are 56% off on their RW items... maybe those scratchings are theirs? They also often list pieces as "1 of 4", "9", etc.
Anyway, that's all I got!
And your girl there is beautiful. Love those petticoats!

 

I'm not sure what the marks mean but I can tell you a little about the difference in porcelain etc. Ceramic is a general term that includes porcelain, stoneware and earthenware. Both stoneware and porcelain are made with clays that can be fired at very high temperatures that cause the them to vitrify to various degrees and makes them fairly impervious to water. Earthenwares are made with clays fired at lower temperatures and need to be glazed if they need to be impervious to water.

A little trick from archaeology.....if you touch the unglazed portion of a piece to your tongue earthenwares will "stick" to your tongue a little but porcelains and stonewares don't "stick".

 

Ohwww....YUK !!!!!

 

I know but it works

 

On American pottery I would assume it's either a glaze formula or some type of color code. Could be the same thing here. The figurine went into production but perhaps this is a sample?
Don

 

Hi Komo,
My favorite way to test Fiestaware old vs new is a slight lick on the unglazed ring on the back. Old has a slight stick, the new is smooth so no stick. So go YUK yourself.
greg

 

It's because the lower fired clays are absorbent. The "stick" is because the moisture on your tongue is absorbed by the clay. A drop of water will work as well. Low fired clays will darken with a drop of water because the water is absorbed. Once it dries, the color returns to normal. It's also why low fired clays stain easily. High fired clays won't absorb the water, so they don't change color.

I long time ago I read that it's one way to tell early van Briggle from later production, but I forget the details.

 

i hope you washed it first ,but i can't get this vision out of my head of someone licking something in a thrift store ,wondering where it's been lol

 

you can see light through porcelain but not through ceramic , hope that helps

 

That DOES help, Lloyd!!!

I'm fighting it, but I think I have a ceramic/pottery/porcelain urge... and I already have a gateway-drug-item... my yellow McCoy duck planter.

 

Oh no.......run

 

I'm with Komo! No pottery licking for me.

Don, I think you may be right about the color code.

 

Do you do it in Goodwill.... Flea market....Garage Sale....?

 

Thanks Ola....I was starting to think I was gonna get a licking ....for my comment !!!

 

Well... Now if I will see that some man turned some sculpture of the girl (or some animal ) turned upside down and lick it at the bottom - I will understand WHAT HE IS DOING and it is NOT what I was thinking about!!!

 

*Covering WTK'S mouth*
Oh, YOUUUUU!!!!!
*Giggling hysterically*

 

Sorry GG, my English is bad, but imagination is VERY GOOD.

 

Hi,
I should explain. In the very beginning (1986) Homer Laughlin started to make Fiesta again. It was fired a higher temp which made the difference. The early pieces looked and were marked the same as the old Fiesta. A quick and easy(?) way to tell was the tongue test. I do not need to do it now but at the time it was a quick test.
greg

 

as long as it's not "destructive" testing lol