Porcelain, they say, is China’s ‘gift’ to the world. Hailed as one of the must-haves in many households, porcelain has found its way into many countries across the globe. And if one was to traverse back on the porcelain path, one would head straight into the heart of China.
It was in China that porcelain was first discovered. It was way back during the Shang Dynasty between 16th – 11th century B.C. It was then mostly used for daily household items such as bowls and cups. As years rolled on, the porcelain gained in importance and beauty. And by the time the Han Dynasty came to power, there were significant advances in the porcelain industry. Now, the items were fancier and the people used mostly Celadon and Black porcelain. With every new dynasty at the helm, the craftsmanship only became better. With the passage of time, techniques improved and kilns became better equipped resulting in some of the finest porcelain being produced in China. It was also then that porcelain came to be known as Fine China in the rest of the world.
Chinese porcelain can be traced to mainly six provinces in China: Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hebei and Shandong. While each province boasts of its unique styles, they all follow the common techniques of base forming, decoration, glazing and firing.
JingdeZhen Porcelain
Porcelains made in JingdeZhen in Jiangxi Province are mostly used for daily life or for furnishings. The porcelain found in this province is famed as the White porcelain and many superlatives have been used to describe it. It is known be as white as jade, as bright as glass, as thin as paper and as sonorous as a chime stone. The blue and white porcelain is a trademark of this region and has been around since the Yuan Dynasty. Also renowned is the celadon rice-pattern drawings found on the porcelains from this province.
Liling Under-glaze Colors Porcelain
Liling porcelain goes back 250 years to the reign of the Emperor Yongzheng from the Qing Dynasty. Liling porcelain has a rich and colorful interface and its colors are refreshing, tender and bright as if was covered by a layer of bright and transparent glass yarn. It is no wonder then that the porcelain from this province has found its way into a gamut of Chinese and Western tableware, tea sets, wine vessels and other commodities of daily use. The patterns on these porcelains are artistic and the colors antique. Liling porcelain is also known to be tough and can withstand collision.
Dehua White Porcelain
Chinese porcelain can safely contribute its worldwide appreciation to the Dehua White Porcelain. Dehua falls in the Fujian province and has been home to porcelain craftsmanship since ancient China. However, what shot Dehua porcelain to fame was the opening of the Silk Route that enabled Chinese porcelain to reach far shores.
The town of Dehua has earned the reputation of producing some of the most exquisite porcelain ware in the world. Dehua porcelain enjoys a distinction for its craftsmanship and manufactures items mostly for religious and decoration purposes. However, you can also find Dehua porcelain tableware.
The most impressive kind of the Dehua porcelain is the White Porcelain originated from the Ming Dynasty. It is bright and graceful, with a white color as milky as grease. It is what the French have so aptly called the Blanc De Chine.
Longquan Celadon
Longquan Celadon hails from the Zhejiang Province and was used extensively in the royal courts of ancient China. It was also a popular export item since the Ming Dynasty. Because of its exquisite beauty and likeness to jade, it was expensive. In those times, the value of Longguan Celadon equaled that of gold and was highly appreciated in European countries.
There are two kinds of Longquan Celadon: one made in Ge Kiln and the other in Di Kiln. Ge Kiln porcelain is famous for its purple spout and iron base, the splendid glaze split, thick and abundant glaze layer and the light grey color. It is also known by another name: the Spun Gold with Wired Iron. Celadon produced here is regarded as rare and the antique characteristics and gracefulness give Ge Kiln the fame of one of the five best kilns in the Song Dynasty.
Di Kiln celadon, on the other hand, is famous for its glittering green glaze. It boasts of white thick glaze layer which is as bright and smooth as jade. The white ribbed lines and the vermillion bottom give the impression of a flower. It is not surprising then that this kind of celadon is often referred to as the Flower of Celadon.
Shaoxing Yue Porcelain
Yue Porcelain has a special place amidst Chinese porcelains. It is found in the Shaoxing city and is considered the cradle of Qing Porcelain in China. Yue porcelain comes in three kinds: Supreme, Lan Pavillion and Sailboat.
Supreme Yue is made with the colorant of the oxide of rare earth elements. It is sensitive to light and can change more than 10 colors under different light sources. Both daily commodities and high-class handicrafts can be made from such material, and after being decorated by corrosive gold it takes on an elegant and palatial appearance.
Lan Pavilion (a Chinese brand) Celadon is another special kind of porcelain among the newly-created porcelains from the Yue Kiln. With cobalt oxide as the colorant and firing in high-temperature, the celadon porcelain is characterized by its green interface, decoration of white flowers, gracefulness and beauty. Products include sets of Chinese and Western tableware for 30-150 banqueters, artistic hanging dish with Dunhuang fresco interfaces, vases, as well as souvenir porcelain.
The Sailboat (a Chinese brand) Chinese tableware comes in red-laced and blue-laced varieties. Both have elegant appearance and come in complete sets that include rice bowl, wine bottle and plate. The porcelain tableware from here incorporates the famous Zhengde design of turn-ups. Decorated with golden and silver lines, the porcelain is colorful but not gaudy, suitable for both furnishing and household uses.
