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A Short History of Chinese Ceramics.

With such an abundance of the raw materials existing throughout most parts of China it was somewhat inevitable that pottery would come to play such an important part in the Chinese way of life. Whereas in Europe and other parts of the world, people looked towards precious metals, pewter or wood to express their personality and status in the items they used, the Chinese looked towards their pottery. Major advances in mastering kiln techniques and high-fired glazes allowed their craftsmen gradually to develop sophisticated stoneware to the exclusion of earthenware and to do so with a technology that was far in advance of most other areas of the world. However, this technology advanced without any meaningful contact with the outside world and, as such, resulted in a surprising lack of variety in the items it produced. And it was the late 6th century and into the T’ang dynasty (618-906) before outside influences from Central Asia, India and the Near East began to be accepted.
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Emperors and Dynasties
 

Porcelain:   Porcelain is manufactured by combining kaolin clay and petuntse (a felspathic material from decomposed granite). Both need to be refined and the quality of the porcelain is determined by the degree of refinement. After the piece has been moulded and pared down to the required thickness, it is left to dry and then if required a design in blue cobalt oxide or red copper oxide is applied. Sometimes a coloured glaze in white, black, red or celadon is used instead of a design. Porcelain needs a high kiln temperature, usually above 1300 degrees, to fuse the glaze to the body to make it resonant and impervious to water, and to protect the porcelain from the flames at such high temperature they are placed in earthenware saggars. Monochrome porcelain, usually white, is sometimes decorated with coloured enamels before being re-fired at a lower temperature (around 700-900 degrees) to enhance the body. Famille verte, which had a palette based principally on green, was used frequently during the Ming and Qing periods up until around 1710 after which famille rose, based on pink and purple enamels, became more popular.

Regions

Click for larger imageJingdezen:
Jingdezen became established as the centre of porcelain manufacture during the Southern Song and Yuan period, and still remains so today. Imperial patronage ensured the best craftsmen were attracted to the area and the finest porcelain was produced. In fact much of the porcelain made during the 17th and 18th centuries is still recognised as the finest ever made. Export porcelain made at Jingdezen was either transported overland via the Mei-ling pass to Guangzhou (Canton) or else by boat from Nanking. However, although blue and white underglaze porcelain was designed and made at Jingdezen much of the enameling was done to order at Canton.

Dehua:
Dehua in Fujian Province became famous in the 16th century for the quality of its white porcelain, Buddhist figures, although other white items were also made which are now commonly known as blance de Chine. The porcelain was pure white and when high-fired the glaze becomes glassy with a variation of colour from pinkish ivory to pale milky-white.

Swatow:
Swatow is the name given to porcelain from the region north of Swatow in Guangdong Province and around Quanzhou in the neighbouring Fujian province. Due to the softness of the porcelain items tended to be more robust and are characterised by a more free-flowing design than the more traditional designs of Jingdezen. Also they tend to be identified by kiln grit around the foot-rims. Swatow ware was made for the S.E. Asian market and also for Japan.

Yixing:
Yixing was the name given to a reddish brown stoneware made around the city of Yixing near Shanghai in Jiangsi province which produced a much sought after gloss on the unglazed surfaces. Yixing is best known for teapots which were often decorated with incised inscriptions.

 

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