Chinese Porcelain 中国陶瓷

     Porcelain (also known as china or fine china) originated in China thousands of years ago. Although proto-porcelain （原始瓷）wares existed in the Shang Dynasty, by the Eastern Han Dynasty glazed ceramic wares（上釉的陶器）had developed into porcelain. Celadon (灰绿色) and black porcelain wares were the dominant types in the Han Dynasty. Styles had formed and differed based on regions. The Yue Kiln（越窑） in Zhejiang Province produced delicate and hard celadon porcelain; while the Deqing Kiln（德清窑） became the earliest kiln that made black porcelain.

     Porcelain manufactured during the Tang Dynasty was exported to the Islamic world, where it was highly prized. Early porcelain of this type includes the Tri-colour glazed porcelain①. The exact dividing line between proto-porcelain and porcelain wares is not a clear one to date. Porcelain items in the sense that we know them today could be found in the Tang Dynasty and archaeological findings have pushed the dates back to as early as the Han Dynasty. By the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, porcelain had become widely produced. Xing kiln（邢窑）②in Hebei Province was greatly prized for its “white-like-snow” porcelain.

     During the Song Dynasty, artistry（技艺）and production had reached new heights. The manufacture of porcelain became highly organized and the kiln sites excavated from this period could produce as many as 25,000 wares. Ru Kiln（汝窑）, Ding Kiln（定窑）, Ge Kiln（哥窑）, Jun Kiln（钧窑）, and Official Kiln（官窑） had been the representatives of that age. Ru Kiln in Hebei Province added treasured agate (玛瑙) into the glaze so that the color and texture appeared uniquely daintily creamy and could match jade. Henan Province had two famous kilns named Jun and Ding kilns. Since the reign of Emperor Huizong who liked art, the porcelain of Jun Kiln was kept exclusively for the royal family. Ding Kiln boasted its white porcelain has a texture as delicate as that of ivory with an adornment of black and purple glaze. Distinctive from the other four kilns which stressed color, this one was quite good at engraving and printing flower patterns. Ge Kiln produced articles with various grains and produced a number of artworks greater than those of the other four. Official Kiln advocated concise patterns of decoration on its wares.

     By the Ming Dynasty, porcelain was exported to Europe. Some of the most well-known Chinese porcelain art styles arrived in Europe during this era, such as the coveted blue-and-white porcelain. The Ming government controlled much of the porcelain trade, which was further expanded to all over Asia, Africa, and Europe through the Silk Road. Later, Portuguese merchants began direct trade over the sea route with the Ming government in 1517 and were followed by Dutch merchants in 1598. 

     Some porcelain was more highly valued than others in imperial China. We can identify the most valued types by their association with the court, either as tribute offerings（贡品） or as products of kilns under imperial supervision. One of the most well-known examples is Jingdezhen porcelain③. During the Ming Dynasty, Jingdezhen porcelain became imperial pride. The Yongle Emperor erected a white porcelain brick-faced pagoda（塔）at Nanjing, and an exceptionally smoothly glazed type of white porcelain is peculiar to his reign.

    Just like Chinese silk, Chinese porcelain has been exported to world markets via sea lanes that were later referred to as the “Porcelain Road”. Chinese porcelain wares are broadly reflective of Chinese culture, encompassing many aspects of Chinese civilization and appealing broadly to people’s sense of beauty.

Abridged and revised from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcelain

Notes:

① Tri-colour glazed porcelain : 三彩陶器, 兴于初唐，故称唐三彩, 是低温铅釉的彩釉陶器, 汉族陶瓷烧制工艺的珍品，以黄、白、绿为基本釉色。有黄地三彩、绿地三彩、紫地三彩、墨地三彩、酱白地三彩、虎皮三彩。吸取了国画、雕塑等传统工艺美术的特点，采用堆贴、刻画等形式的装饰图案。

② Xing Ware: 邢瓷。邢窑是中国白瓷的发祥地，中国古代最早的官窑之一，唐代七大名窑之一。邢窑位于今邢台市临城县与内丘县一带。邢瓷从瓷质上分成三个品种：粗白瓷、细白瓷和透影细白瓷。

③Jingdezhen porcelain :景德镇陶瓷，始于汉世, 五代时的景德镇以为南方最早烧造白瓷之地和其白瓷的较高成就而奠定了自己的地位，从而打破了青瓷在南方的垄断局面和形成“南青北白”的格局。