Black Lace

The History of the Colour Black at Royal Copenhagen

When Royal Copenhagen opened its doors in 1775, it was decided that the factory’s primary focus would be the blue painted porcelain. The reason for this decision was the cobalt blue colour could withstand the second firing at 1375 degrees without loosing its iconic vibrancy. Thus only two firings was necessary, keeping cost and production time at a minimum. 
Very few other colours can be used for underglaze painting. In the late 1800’s a chrome green was developed, however it lacked the vibrancy of the blue. For many years the black underglaze colour was an elusive obstacle for the craftsmen, as they struggled to find a colour formula that could withstand the high temperatures required to fire the delicate pieces. Numerous trials resulted in decorations that appeared more brown than black and it was not until 2006 with the launch of Black Fluted Mega that a satisfactory formula was achieved and the first full black collection became a reality. In the years between 2007 and 2009 a limited number of Black Fluted Half Lace pieces were created, but has since been removed from production; until now.