Qingbai wares

By Ceramic Design

Qingbai wares (also called ‘yingqing’) were made at Jingdezhen and at many other southern kilns from the time of the Northern Song Dynasty until they were eclipsed in the 14th century by underglaze-decorated blue and white wares. Qingbai in Chinese literally means “clear blue-white“. The qingbai glaze is a porcelain glaze, so-called because it was made using pottery stone. The qingbai glaze is clear, but contains iron in small amounts. When applied over a white porcelain body the glaze produces a greenish-blue colour that gives the glaze its name. Some have incised or moulded decorations.

The Song dynasty qingbai bowl illustrated was likely made at the Jingdezhen village of Hutian, which was also the site of the Imperial kilns established in 1004. The bowl has incised decoration, possibly representing clouds or the reflection of clouds in the water. The body is white, translucent and has the texture of very-fine sugar, indicating that it was made using crushed and refined pottery stone instead of pottery stone and kaolin. The glaze and the body of the bowl would have been fired together, in a saggar, possibly in a large wood-burning dragon-kiln or climbing-kiln, typical of southern kilns in the period.

Though many Song and Yuan qingbai bowls were fired upside down in special segmented saggars, a technique first developed at the Ding kilns in Hebei province. The rims of such wares were left unglazed but were often bound with bands of silver, copper or lead.

One remarkable example of qingbai porcelain is the so-called Fonthill Vase, described in a guide for Fonthill Abbey published in 1823

“…an oriental china bottle, superbly mounted, said to be the earliest known specimen of porcelain introduced into Europe”

The vase was made at Jingdezhen, probably around 1300 and was sent as a present to Pope Benedict XII by one of the last Yuan emperors of China, in 1338. The mounts referred to in the 1823 description were of enamelled silver-gilt and were added to the vase in Europe in 1381. An 18th century water colour of the vase complete with its mounts exists, but the mounts themselves were removed and lost in the 19th century. The vase is now in the National Museum of Ireland. It is often held that qingbai wares were not subject to the higher standards and regulations of the other porcelain wares, since they were made for everyday use. They were mass-produced, and received little attention from scholars and antiquarians. The Fonthill Vase, given by a Chinese emperor to a pope, might appear to cast at least some doubt on this view.

Jian tea wares

By Ceramic Design

Jian blackwares, mainly comprising tea wares, were made at kilns located in Jianyang of Fujian province. They reached the peak of their popularity during the Song dynasty. The wares were made using locally-won, iron-rich clays and fired in an oxidising atmosphere at temperatures in the region of 1300 °C. The glaze was made using clay similar to that used for forming the body, except fluxed with wood-ash. At high temperatures the molten glaze separate to produce a pattern called hare’s fur. When Jian wares were set tilted for firing, drips run down the side, creating evidence of liquid glaze pooling.

Jian tea bowlSong Dynasty, Metropolitan Museum of Art

The hare’s fur Jian tea bowl illustrated in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was made during the Song dynasty (960 to 1279 AD) and exhibits the typical pooling, or thickening, of the glaze near the bottom. The hare’s fur patterning in the glaze of this bowl resulted from the random effect of phase separation during early cooling in the kiln and is unique to this bowl. This phase separation in the iron-rich glazes of Chinese blackwares was also used to produce the well-known oil-spot, teadust and partridge-feather glaze effects. No two bowls have identical patterning. The bowl also has a dark brown iron-foot which is typical of this style. It would have been fired, probably with several thousand other pieces, each in its own stackable saggar, in a single-firing in a large dragon kiln. One such kiln, built on the side of a steep hill, was almost 150 metres in length, though most Jian dragon kilns were fewer than 100 metres in length.

An 11th century resident of Fujian wrote:

At the time, tea was prepared by whisking powdered leaves that had been pressed into dried cakes together with hot water, (somewhat akin to matcha in Japanese Tea Ceremony). The water added to this powder produced a white froth that would stand out better against a dark bowl. Tastes in preparation changed during the Ming dynasty; the Hongwu Emperor himself preferred leaves to powdered cakes, and would accept only leaf tea as tribute from tea-producing regions. Leaf tea, in contrast to powdered tea, was prepared by steeping whole leaves in boiling water – a process that led to the invention of the teapot and subsequent popularity of Yixing wares over the dark tea bowls.

Jian tea wares of the Song dynasty were also greatly appreciated and copied in Japan, where they were known as tenmoku wares.

Qing Dynasty porcelain

By Ceramic Design

Primary source material on Qing Dynasty porcelain is available from both foreign residents and domestic authors. Two letters written by Père Francois Xavier d’Entrecolles, a Jesuit missionary and industrial spy who lived and worked in Jingdezhen in the early eighteenth century, described in detail manufacturing of porcelain in the city. In his first letter dated 1712, d’Entrecolles described the way in which pottery stones were crushed, refined and formed into little white bricks, known in Chinese as petuntse. He then went on to describe the refining of china clay kaolin along with the developmental stages of glazing and firing. He explained his motives:

In 1743, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, Tang Ying, the imperial supervisor in the city produced a memoir entitled “Twenty illustrations of the manufacture of porcelain.” Unfortunately, the original illustrations have been lost, but the text of the memoir is still accessible.

Han dynasty ceramic

By Ceramic Design

Han dynasty, 202 BC-220 AD

Some experts believe the first true porcelain was made in the province of Zhejiang during the Eastern Han period. Shards recovered from archaeological Eastern Han kiln sites estimated firing temperature ranged from 1260 to 1300 °C. As far back as 1000 BC, the so-called “Porcelaneous wares” or “proto-porcelain wares“ were made using at least some kaolin fired at high temperatures. The dividing line between the two and true porcelain wares is not a clear one. Archaeological finds have pushed the dates to as early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD).

The late Han years saw the early development of the peculiar art form of hunping, or “soul jar”: a funerary jar whose top was decorated by a sculptural composition. This type vessels became widespread during the following Jin Dynasty and the Six Dynasties.

Ancient ceramics in Palace Museum destroyed

By Ceramic Design

A piece of ancient Chinese ceramics in the Beijing Palace Museum, known as Ge Ware, has been destroyed due to improper handling. Academics were inspecting the pieces when the accident occurred. The Palace Museum’s inspection of the ancient ceramics has now been suspended.

Ge Ware originated in the Song Dynasty, about 800 years ago. Ge Ware represents one of the pinnacles of Chinese porcelain. Only a few hundred pieces remain, all of them priceless. Ge Ware is renowned for the high skill needed to create their distinctive crackling pattern.

Ge Ware destroyed due to improper handling.

2009 China Jingdezhen Int’l Ceramic Fair

By Ceramic Design

Photo taken on Oct. 18, 2009 shows a blue-and-white porcelain clock on shown at the exhibition hall of 2009 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair in Jingdezhen, east China’s Jiangxi Province. The 2009 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair kicked off here on Oct. 18.

Visitors tour the exhibition hall of 2009 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair in Jingdezhen, east China’s Jiangxi Province, Oct. 18, 2009.

A visitor views exhibits at the exhibition hall of 2009 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair in Jingdezhen, east China’s Jiangxi Province, Oct. 18, 2009.

A woman shows blue-and-white porcelain clocks at the exhibition hall of 2009 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair in Jingdezhen

A woman shows a blue-and-white porcelain clock at the exhibition hall of 2009 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair in Jingdezhen, east China’s Jiangxi Province, Oct. 18, 2009. The 2009 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair kicked off here on Oct. 18.

Egg Pot – Jade

By Ceramic Design

This style is a basic egg shaped pot.  They look great sitting on a patio table, fence ledge or nested in the grass and filled with spring flowers.  Available in five generous sizes that really compliment each other when placed as a set.

Imported from South China, these ceramic pieces of pottery are made from white bisque instead of clay.  Having this kind of a base to start with gives this piece an advantage when it comes to colorful and vibrant glazes.  Each one is considered high quality yet traditional.  Some of the finishes like the Copper and Bronze have great shine and sparkle.  Our Jade and Oxblood red are traditional glazes with a lovely crackle finish.  Of course we would not be stating the obvious if we didn’t point out the new tri color glazing called “Fire and Ice”.  All pots are high fired, waterproof and come with a drain hole.  The styles are classic and unique.

porcelain 4pcs kids set

By Ceramic Design

Composition of porcelain 4pcs kids set :
Egg cup:5*6.7*4.7
Bowl:12.5*6.4*6
plate:19*12
Mug:9*10*5.5

Porcelain Kids Item

By Ceramic Design

PORCELAIN KIDS ITEM
COMPOSITION:
Mug: 1PCS
Bowl: 1PCS
Saucer: 1PCS
Egg cup: 1PCS

new style ceramic decoration vase

By Ceramic Design

Type: Other  Place of Origin: Zhejiang China (Mainland) Brand Name: linran  Material: Ceramic color: golden & silver Metal Type: Silver we offer various new style ceramic decoration vase.high quality&reasonable price.nice glaze make your life more lively.
new style ceramic decoration vase
item name :ceramic decoration vase
size : 18*18*37.5
material : ceramic / porcelain / pottery
MOQ : 2ctn
packing : 1pc/box , 6pcs/ctn .
use : home decoration , bedroom decoration ,sitting room decor . hotel decoration .bar decoration .book room decoration etc .whatever you can use .