A lithophane is a relief moulded porcelain plaque, the moulded picture only visible by holding the plaque up to the light, or illuminating it from behind. The picture is created by the varying thicknesses of the plaque from translucent to opaque. The technique was patented in Paris in 1827 and the plaques became a very popular novelty made by factories throughout Europe. The quality of the design was often very high. Head and shoulder portraits were very popular, as were landscapes, often of well known views. From 1850 lithophanes were sometimes tinted.
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