Chinese porcelain is made from kaolin and a form of feldspar called petuntse. In the Western tradition ceramics are primarily divided into the categories of earthenware, stoneware or porcelain, depending upon the chemical composition of the clay and the temperature at which the ware matures into a stable crystalline matrix. The Chinese tradition recognizes two primary categories of ceramic, high-fired (ci) and low-fired (tao). In China no distinction is made between high-fired stoneware and porcelain. One important result of this is that the property of translucence carries no weight in the traditional Chinese classification of ceramics. One unusual characteristic of Chinese porcelain is that main the body and the glaze are fired together. The body of a piece is formed and finished, air-dried, coated with a glaze, dried again and fired. In the high temperature of the kiln the body and the glaze are fused together to become one unit.

In the context of Chinese ceramics the term porcelain lacks a universally accepted definition. This in turn has led to confusion about when the first Chinese porcelain was made. The making of Chinese pottery began in the Neolithic period, (5000-2200 B.C.). Archaeological finds indicate that some glazed pottery was produced as early as the Western Zhou dynasty (1100-771 B.C.), though it was in the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) that centuries of kiln firing experience began a new ceramic age and the production of glazed wares became common. Jingdezhen clay, under a variety of names, has been central to porcelain production in China since at least the early Han Dynasty. Chinese experts emphasize the presence of a significant proportion of Jingdezhen as an important factor in defining porcelain and shards recovered from Eastern Han kiln sites in Zhejiang, estimated to have been fired at a temperature of between 1260 to 1300 degrees Celsius, were found to meet this condition. From the Han dynasty, celadon porcelain and black porcelain were mainly produced. Celadon porcelain continued to develop during the later dynasties.

The major contribution made by Tang dynasty (616-906 A.D.) potters was their introduction of the multicolor wares. In early Tang dynasty, production of sancai pottery figurines dominate the pottery scene. In the late Tang dynasty, celadon porcelain production techniques matured and it was manufactured in large scale. At the same time white porcelain, which appeared in the later Northern and Southern dynasty, reached its peak too. White porcelain, mainly produced in Xing Kiln in Hebei province, sounds like musical instruments when tapped.

The success of ceramic production in the Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) was seen in the monochrome wares. The most spectacular of the Song monochromes was the Celadon which has been called by various names based on its shade and tone or its pattern of crackles. The Song dynasty, the most important dynasty in Chinese porcelain history, brought prosperity in porcelain production and appreciation. Ru Kiln, Jun Kiln, Guan Kiln, Ge Kiln and Ding Kiln were the top five among many famous kilns. Ru Kiln produced creamy porcelain wares while Jun Kiln produced rosy porcelain wares red as sunset glow. Ge Kiln specialized in artificial crackly wares. Among them, the most famous were Ru Kiln wares. The fine and delicate Ru wares used special glaze with carnelian added. The Ru wares basically had four kinds of glaze according to color - azure, sapphire, moon white and turquoise. It was very difficult to control the firing temperature and glaze prescription. Since the production of Ru ware lasted only 20 years, Ru wares are so rare that only about 70 pieces are now found in the world. In the Song dynasty, porcelain production and techniques reached an unprecedented height.

During the Yuan dynasty (1280-1367), the porcelain industry continued its rapid development. Blue and white porcelain, which emerged in the Tang and Song dynasties, reached its maturity. The blue and white ware was painted with powder blue under transparent glaze. So the color was perfectly protected under the hard glaze, enabling long-term use. Among those kilns, Jingdezhen kiln made breakthroughs in techniques. It remodeled material formula and improved firing temperature, facilitating the production of large wares. Second, blue and white wares and red-under-glaze wares were successfully produced and rapidly matured, to mark that combination of Chinese painting and porcelain production reached maturity and color-under-glaze porcelain wares developed to a record high. Third, great achievement was made in the producing of colorant glaze. Before the Yuan dynasty, people had few color choice.

In the Ming dynasty (1368-1643), blue and white porcelain wares became the main stream of porcelain production. Blue and white ware stepped into a golden era during the Yongle, Xuande and Chenghua reigns. Delicate and thick glaze, various patterns and affluent models are basic features of the Yongle and Xuande porcelain wares. Chenghua wares were delicate and lighted colored, with Chinese ink wash painting flavor. Throughout the Ming dynasty, dragon and phoenix (The dragon representing the man and the phoenix representing the dragons bride or the woman) were the most popular decorative motifs on ceramic wares. Other animals, plant forms, and human figures in garden and interior setting were often used as decors for blue and white wares. It has been noted that after Wan Li (1573-1620), very few ceramic wares of the Ming dynasty bear reign marks.

The fashionable wucai wares of Chia Ching (1522-1566) and Wan Li (1573-1620) periods are usually fully covered with colorful patterns. The colors used include red, yellow, light and dark green, brown, aubergine and underglaze blue. In Ming dynasty, a variety of porcelain wares were decorated with motifs coming up on colored ground instead. They included wares with green glazed patterns on a yellow ground, yellow glazed patterns on a blue ground, green glazed patterns on a red ground and other color combinations.

Another remarkable category of colored wares produced in the Ming dynasty was the susancai or 'tri-color'. The major three colors are yellow, green and aubergine. Tricolor wares of the Ming dynasty appeared in the reigns of Hsuen Te, Chia Ching and Wan Li. In the late Ming dynasty, blue and white porcelain met another surge during the reigns of Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli.

In the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), blue and white made a great leap forward to radiate its worldwide influence. Among the Qing porcelain wares, those produced in the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong are the most famous. The production of "export" china soared in this period.

The 20th century saw the birth of the Republic of China (about 1909-1915 AD). The disturbances in its birth resulted in the collapse of the official kilns. In their places private kilns were established by the operators and artists who previously worked in the official kilns. With their expertise they produced high quality porcelain wares that earned high praise in overseas markets, and the excellent imitations of Sung, Yuan and Qing wares made in the infant Republic of China were almost true to the originals.

When war broke out in 1937 all the kilns were closed. The operators and artists were dispersed, and many of them traveled to the south, trying to make a living. When peace came in 1945, social stability led to the re-establishment of the pottery industry. In this stretch of fifty years to the present time, the industry has re-gained its previous glory and is enjoying a growing prosperity. Today's porcelain, in the People's Republic of China , heralds a new era for Chinese production with reproduction and new modern designs operating along side each other. The area in China that produces some of the best specimens is the town of Jingdezhen where previously state operated factories have now been transformed into vibrant private companies. The demand for good Chinese porcelain is also rising within China as the population becomes more affluent.

Gotheborg.com
This fully searchable web site is dedicated to the needs and interests of the collectors of Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain. It currently offers 1.3 Gb (1,300 Mb) worth of Chinese and Japanese collectors information as in text and pictures, growing daily, and a selection of authenticated Antique Chinese porcelain for reference and sale.

jcollector.com
Jcollector, your online center for Japanese and Chinese antiques and fine art, offers the widest and most interesting selection on the internet.