James Robinson (1826–1897) and Edward James Leadbeater (1837–1911) were almost unique as manufacturers in concentrating solely on producing decorative parian porcelain, mostly figures and busts. They soon became the largest manufacturers of parian in the country, much of which was exported. They operated from the Glebe Street Works , Stoke-upon-Trent and subsequently also occupied an additional works. Both were practical potters: Robinson had managerial experience and Leadbeater was an skilled parian figure maker. Parian porcelain, a white unglazed porcelain, developed in the late 1840s, was ideally suited for reproducing both classical and modern statuary and became extremely fashionable in the second half of the 19th century. Copies of Greek and Roman statues and reproductions of sculpture by modern artists were produced alongside busts of eminent figures, and sentimental animal and figure studies.

Parian ware is a type of bisque porcelain imitating marble. Parian was essentially designed to imitate carved marble,[1] with the great advantage that it could be prepared in a liquid form and cast in a mould, enabling mass production.