How can you tell the difference between hard and soft paste porcelain?

The best way to tell the difference between hard paste and soft paste porcelain is to look at a broken or chipped piece. Hard paste porcelain fractures are brittle and smooth, while soft paste porcelain fractures are chalky and break along the grain. On 1stDibs, find a selection of hard and soft paste porcelain pieces from top sellers around the world.

Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

White And Gold Sevres Porcelain

France 19th Century Sevres Blue Porcelain

French Sevres Porcelain Table Lamp

Biscuit Figurines

Category

1770s English Rococo Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Champion s Bristol leaf shape pickle dish, c. 1775

$740

Oval Tureen and Cover of Sevres Porcelain, Turquoise Blue Ground, 18th Century

Located in Paris, FR

Oval tureen and cover of soft-paste Sevres porcelain, turquoise blue ground (bleu celeste) with

Category

1780s French Louis XV Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Oval Tureen and Cover of Sevres Porcelain, Turquoise Blue Ground, 18th Century

$33,753

Rare Pair of 18th Century Bueno Retiro Pale Yellow Ground Vases

Located in Peterborough, Northamptonshire

the Royal Palace of Madrid. Improvements in use of material were made by developing soft paste

Category

Late 18th Century Spanish Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Rare Pair of 18th Century Bueno Retiro Pale Yellow Ground Vases

$3,728 / set

18th Century French Chantilly Blue and White Pierced Soft Paste Porcelain Basket

Located in Atlanta, GA

18th century circa 1760s-1970s French Chantilly blue and white pierced soft paste porcelain basket

Category

18th Century French Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

18th Century French Chantilly Blue and White Pierced Soft Paste Porcelain Basket

$1,125

Porcelain Egg Cup, Kakiemon decoration. Chantilly C1735.

By Chantilly

Located in Melbourne, Victoria

Early soft-paste porcelain egg cup, decorated with an eclectic meld: a Chinese pattern, in a

Category

1730s French Neoclassical Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Porcelain Egg Cup, Kakiemon decoration. Chantilly C1735.

$8,500

Attributed to Escalier De Cristal Porcelain Jardinière

By L Escalier de Cristal

Located in New York, NY

A massive jardinière/ planter attributed to Escalier De crystal, Paris, 19th century. Soft paste

Category

Late 19th Century French Japonisme Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Attributed to Escalier De Cristal Porcelain Jardinière

$9,500

Antique Sèvres Louis XVI Hand-Painted Porcelain Tray Platter

By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Located in Washington Crossing, PA

, or true, porcelain as well as soft-paste porcelain (a porcellaneous material rather than true

Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Sèvres Louis XVI Hand-Painted Porcelain Tray Platter

$950

Sevres Style Porcelain Charger, circa 1845

By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Located in Washington Crossing, PA

porcelain, French hard-paste, or true, porcelain as well as soft-paste porcelain (a porcellaneous material

Category

Mid-19th Century French Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Sevres Style Porcelain Charger, circa 1845

$2,200

Late 19th Century Pair of Sevres Plates, Signed

By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Located in Washington Crossing, PA

. Sèvres porcelain, French hard-paste, or true, porcelain as well as soft-paste porcelain (a porcellaneous

Category

Late 19th Century French Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Late 19th Century Pair of Sevres Plates, Signed

$300

Pair of 18th Century Sevres Hand-Painted Plates

By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Located in Washington Crossing, PA

hard-paste, or true, porcelain as well as soft-paste porcelain (a porcellaneous material rather than

Category

18th Century French Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of 18th Century Sevres Hand-Painted Plates

$1,500

19th Century French Sevres Bronze and Porcelain Urn

By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Located in Washington Crossing, PA

. Signed. Sèvres porcelain, French hard-paste, or true, porcelain as well as soft-paste porcelain (a

Category

19th Century French Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Bronze

19th Century French Sevres Bronze and Porcelain Urn

$6,000

Antique French Sevres Pair of Bronze and Porcelain Urns

By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Located in Washington Crossing, PA

, French hard-paste, or true, porcelain as well as soft-paste porcelain (a porcellaneous material rather

Category

19th Century French Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Bronze

Antique French Sevres Pair of Bronze and Porcelain Urns

$1,450

19th Century Antique French Sèvres Pair of Porcelain and Bronze Urns

By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Located in Washington Crossing, PA

. Sèvres porcelain, French hard-paste, or true, porcelain as well as soft-paste porcelain (a porcellaneous

Category

19th Century French Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Antique French Sèvres Pair of Porcelain and Bronze Urns

$750

Plate XLV. Sevres Urns

By Edouard Garnier

Located in Florham Park, NJ

. These were, however basically soft-paste porcelains. Under the patronage of Louis XV, the Vincennes

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Lithograph

Edouard Garnier
Plate XLV. Sevres Urns, 1892

$495

Plate XXXI. Sevres Urns.

By Edouard Garnier

Located in Florham Park, NJ

. These were, however basically soft-paste porcelains. Under the patronage of Louis XV, the Vincennes

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Lithograph

Edouard Garnier
Plate XXXI. Sevres Urns., 1892

$495

Sevres Urns with Dolphins and Lion Masks

By Edouard Garnier

Located in Florham Park, NJ

. These were, however basically soft-paste porcelains. Under the patronage of Louis XV, the Vincennes

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Lithograph

Edouard Garnier
Sevres Urns with Dolphins and Lion Masks, 1892

$495

Plate XLV. Sevres Urns

By Edouard Garnier

Located in Florham Park, NJ

. These were, however basically soft-paste porcelains. Under the patronage of Louis XV, the Vincennes

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

Materials

Lithograph

Edouard Garnier
Plate XLV. Sevres Urns, 1892

$495

Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass Under $1,000

Antique and Vintage Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

19th Century Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Ceramic Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

European Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass on Sale

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Soft Paste Antique Porcelain For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the piece of soft paste antique porcelain you’re looking for. An item from our selection of soft paste antique porcelain — often made from ceramic, porcelain and metal — can elevate any home. Whether you’re looking for newer or older items, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. When you’re browsing for the right choice in our collection of soft paste antique porcelain, those designed in Victorian, Regency and Rococo styles are of considerable interest. A well-made object in our assortment of soft paste antique porcelain has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Spode, Bow Porcelain and Theodore Deck are consistently popular.

How Much is a Soft Paste Antique Porcelain?

Prices for a piece of soft paste antique porcelain can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $85 and can go as high as $30,342, while the average can fetch as much as $1,662.

Questions About Soft Paste Antique Porcelain

How can you tell the difference between hard and soft paste porcelain?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
The best way to tell the difference between hard paste and soft paste porcelain is to look at a broken or chipped piece. Hard paste porcelain fractures are brittle and smooth, while soft paste porcelain fractures are chalky and break along the grain. On 1stDibs, find a selection of hard and soft paste porcelain pieces from top sellers around the world.