Bisque, also called biscuit, is porcelain or pottery that has been fired but left unglazed, giving it a matt surface resembling marble or fine stone. The term describes both an intermediate stage in ceramic manufacture and finished wares deliberately left in this state.
Biscuit porcelain figures became fashionable in the mid-eighteenth century, especially at the French royal factory at Vincennes and Sèvres, where they were admired for their resemblance to marble sculpture. Derby produced fine biscuit figures in England in the later eighteenth century, and the Victorians developed Parian ware, a related unglazed porcelain used for busts and statuettes. Bisque was also widely used in the nineteenth century for doll heads, particularly by German and French makers, and for decorative figures and groups, sometimes tinted in delicate colours. Because there is no protective glaze, bisque readily absorbs dirt and is easily stained, so cleaning must be done with great care. Collectors look for fine modelling, crisp detail, an even surface and clear factory marks, and should check closely for chips and restoration to fingers, flowers and other projecting parts.
