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This royal edict probably gives the best account of the actual state of Bottgher's invention at the time. It has been stated in German publications that Bottgher, for the great services rendered by him to the Elector and to Saxony, was made Manager of the Royal Porcelain Works, and further promoted to the dignity of Baron.
But the young apothecary, suspecting the king's intention, and probably fearing detection, at once resolved on flight, and he succeeded in getting across the frontier into Saxony. A reward of a thousand thalers was offered for Bottgher's apprehension, but in vain.
The discovery, in Bottgher's intelligent hands, led to great results, and proved of far greater importance than the discovery of the philosopher's stone would have been. In October, 1707, he presented his first piece of porcelain to the Elector, who was greatly pleased with it; and it was resolved that Bottgher should be furnished with the means necessary for perfecting his invention.
The answer was, that it was owing to the powder with which the wig was dressed, which consisted of a kind of earth then much used for hair powder. Bottgher's quick imagination immediately seized upon the idea. This white earthy powder might possibly be the very earth of which he was in search at all events the opportunity must not be let slip of ascertaining what it really was.
Bottgher's further experiments with his new furnaces proving very successful, and the porcelain which he manufactured being found to fetch large prices, it was next determined to establish a Royal Manufactory of porcelain. The manufacture of delft ware was known to have greatly enriched Holland. Why should not the manufacture of porcelain equally enrich the Elector?
Although soft porcelain had been made at St. Cloud fourteen years before Bottgher's discovery, the superiority of the hard porcelain soon became generally recognised. Its manufacture was begun at Sevres in 1770, and it has since almost entirely superseded the softer material.
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