Lithophane

Lore & Background

His friend Baron Alexis du Tremblay had a pottery at Rubelles, where the earliest examples were made. Because de Bourgoing felt it inappropriate as a diplomat to use his name in commerce, lithophanes were marked 'AdT' for Tremblay. Germany became the main producer, with the Prussian KPM in Berlin leading, leading to the term 'Berlin transparencies.' The Plauesche Porzellanmanufaktur in Thuringia continued production into the second half of the 20th century. Images tended to be artistically unadventurous, mostly repeating designs from prints or paintings via reproductive prints. Many were sentimental domestic genre scenes, along with portraits, landscapes, and religious subjects. The technique naturally produced images only in grisaille (tones of grey), but later examples were often painted with translucent watercolor-like paint to add color. To make a porcelain lithophane, a wax plaque was carved on a glass backing, then a plaster of Paris cast was taken to create a reusable mold. The porcelain was generally left unglazed as biscuit porcelain. Because the porcelain is in places only about 1/8 inch thick, wastage in firing was high, up to about 60%.

Reader's Guide

Lithophanes represent a distinctive intersection of art, technology, and domestic decoration in the 19th century. Their significance lies in their innovative use of translucent material to create images that only appear when backlit, a novelty that captivated Victorian households. They were mass-produced by major porcelain manufacturers across Europe, with Germany dominating production. However, they have seen a revival in recent decades, using not only porcelain but also glass, plastic, and paper, especially through 3D printing. Modern digital techniques, including CNC cutting and additive manufacturing, allow anyone to create lithophanes from photographs. The Blair Museum of Lithophanes in Ohio holds the largest collection. The legacy of lithophanes endures as both a historical craft and a modern maker movement, demonstrating how a simple optical principle can produce enduring aesthetic appeal.

Did You Know?

• The name 'lithophane' comes from Greek: lithos meaning 'stone' and phainen meaning 'to cause to appear'.
• The largest producer was the Prussian Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM) in Berlin, leading to the term 'Berlin transparencies'.
• Wastage in firing was high, up to about 60%, because the porcelain is in places only about 1/8 inch thick.
• Modern 3D-printed lithophanes can be made using fused deposition modeling (FDM) with white PLA filament or stereolithography (SLA) for high-fidelity gradients.