Tea Cup & Saucer, Saint Cloud, circa 1730

Saint Cloud porcelain is a type of soft-paste porcelain produced in the French town of Saint Cloud from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century. It was one of the earliest European attempts to produce porcelain and is known for its delicate, pale blue-gray glaze and simple, elegant designs.

The history of Saint Cloud porcelain can be traced back to the late 17th century when a group of Flemish potters settled in the town of Saint Cloud, which was then a royal estate located just outside of Paris. These potters were skilled in the manufacture of tin-glazed earthenware and faience, and they soon began to experiment with the production of porcelain.

The early Saint Cloud porcelain was made from a mixture of kaolin, feldspar, and quartz, and it was fired at a relatively low temperature compared to other types of porcelain. The resulting soft-paste porcelain was not as strong as hard-paste porcelain, but it was more affordable and easier to produce.

The early Saint Cloud porcelain pieces were decorated with a variety of designs, including flowers, birds, and landscapes. The glaze used on the pieces was a pale blue-gray color that was achieved by adding small amounts of cobalt oxide to the glaze mixture.

The early production of Saint Cloud porcelain was limited, and the pieces that were produced were primarily intended for the French court and wealthy collectors. Despite this, Saint Cloud porcelain quickly gained a reputation for its beauty and quality, and it was soon imitated by other porcelain makers throughout Europe.

Today, early Saint Cloud porcelain is highly prized by collectors and museums around the world. Many of the surviving pieces are held in the collections of museums such as the Louvre in Paris, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.