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Chifeng kiln is located in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. To present the peony design on the stomach of the vase, the craftsman applied a layer of white decoration clay to the biscuit, and then coated it with transparent glaze. He carved the peony design out of the surface, and filled in with dark color as the background of the white floral motif.

Sanskrit and Arabic scripts were common decoration on early Ming dynasty porcelain wares. Since the Zhengde Emperor attached great importance to Islamic religion, the Arabic language, primarily conveying good wishes, became more popular and frequently occurs on various kinds of objects. However, sometimes the inscribed Arabic are sheer decoration, their original meanings are beyond translation.

The phoenix is a sacred mythical bird, and as a totem of the ancient tribes, its image is special and mysterious. It represents authority, the sacred, and happiness. It was a common decorative motif. This pot has carved phoenix pattern on the shoulder. Proto-porcelain, which has a greenish glaze, appeared during the Shang dynasty. Developing from stoneware with pressed decor, it was a transitional product from pottery to porcelain. The firing temperature for this early celadon is lower than that of porcelain.

In China, the lion is an auspicious animal, representing authority and superiority. Often appearing in pairs, they were made into stone statues flanking the residence gate as safeguards, and a common subject matter in Buddhist art as well. The center of the Xing kiln complex was located in Neiqiu and Lincheng counties in Hebei province under Xingzhou region in Tang dynasty. Xing kiln’s white porcelain has a very fine body applied with pure white glaze, and used to be reserved for the imperial family in the Tang dynasty.

The jar is one of the four jars with straight ears unearthed from the Southern Han (905-971) tomb at Shima village of Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The jar was designed after the wooden bucket of the south, which was quite novel at that time and therefore proliferated in Jiangnan region. Similar jars have been excavated from the Yue kiln site in Zhejiang province and Changsha kiln site in Hunan province, and have been found among burial items in tombs dating to the Five Dynasties in Changsha, Hunan province.

The brush washer’s exterior wall is carved in relief in a pattern of chrysanthemum petals. Craftsmen pierced the brim with two pairs of holes on opposite sides for attaching metal rings for carrying. A pair of carved fish is applied to the center of the interior. The fish are so naturally carved that they seem to be swimming in the washer. The celadon color is pure and soothing. Porcelain ware with such elements typifies Longquan kiln products of the Southern Song. The Longquan kiln was the largest non-official kiln complex…

Majiayao Culture The pot is characterized by small mouth, round belly, two ears, flat bottom and dark red body. Its shoulder and upper belly are decorated with vortex design formed by wide black bands and narrow saw-toothed strips. The undulating and revolving arcs are used to show river’s surging rhythm. The two continuous decorative patterns combined by soft arcs and striking circles is a typical mode of composition in Majiayao culture.

Xicun kiln is located in Guangzhou, Guangdong province The body of the bowl is glazed white with a carved phoenix pattern on the interior. The decorative scheme is composed of five groups of spotted earthtone decoration. The interior walls are adorned with carved branches of winding lotus with spotted brown embellishment. The form of this bowl is fairly standard with a combination of floral and spotted decor. Even though the surface decoration is abundant, the composition is orderly. This work is an example of a Song dynasty ceramic produced at…

This zun takes its name from its resemblance to a radish. Late Kangxi-era peach-bloom red glaze, produced at Jingdezhen, is a kind of high-temperature copper red glaze that is named for its resemblance to the color of the peach blossom. The luminous red glaze is otherwise known as “cowpea skin red”, “baby’s cheek”, and “tipsy beauty”. The glaze just under the neck is thin and transparent, thereby revealing the color of the clay body.

Kangxi-era sky-clearing-red glaze imitates the appearance of Ming Xuande-era red glaze, which was darker in color. This brush holder is glazed in sky-clearing-red glaze, which is thin and transparent along the mouth, thereby revealing the color of the clay body. The body of the vessel is slightly curved in contrast to typical straight and tubular brush holders, embodying formal innovations of the Kangxi reign.

The interior of this brush holder is glazed white while the exterior is glazed with black-bronze with gold paint now is fading. An abbreviated-corner square opening contains a painting with landscape and figures. A transcription in gold of the Ode on the Red Cliff, Part II by the famous literateur Su Shi (1037-1101), decorates the opposite side. According to the signature, this brush holder was created in 1709 when Lang Zhongzang was elected as the ceramics supervisor at Jingdezhen kiln.

Pale green celadon is a traditional Chinese glaze made from traces of ferric oxide fired at a high temperature. The color of this glaze is delicate and reserved, resembling ice and jade. The shape of this vase is unique to the Kangxi era. The exquisite quality of the porcelain is graced with a uniform celadon glaze that resembles a green apple.

The shape of this vase took its name from its resemblance to a gall bladder. This decorative vessel type was usually used as a flower vase. Glazed in copper red at a high temperature, the surface of the body is uniform in texture and pure in color. The interior of the circular base is glazed white with an inscription that indicates a Yongzheng era of production.

Lujun glaze was created during the Yongzheng era and acquired its name because the surface of the glaze has a fluid appearance with many colors melting together to create a beautiful effect. This pot imitates the appearance of patinated bronze ware. The shoulder portion bear symmetrical animal-mask handles. The body of the vessel is glazed in “lujun” glaze, a combination of dark blue and wathet blue fused together to create an irregular striped pattern.

Pale yellow glaze was created during the Yongzheng era as a more subtle alternative to traditional yellow glaze. Because the elegant yellow color resembles the color of egg yolk, this type of glaze is commonly called “egg yolk yellow”. The two pieces of the box are a set with a pearl-shape knot on the lid. There are seven flower-petal shaped partitions inside the box.

The body of the vase has an exquisite, spotless white glaze. The mouth is shaped like lotus petals while the exterior body has a raised lotus pattern. The design is detailed to the point of showing the veins of the lotus flowers and leaves. This skillfully made vase exemplifies the unmatched mastery of Qianlong-era porcelain.

This vase imitates the shape of an ancient jade tube called cong. The glaze is a fusion of blue and purple, which creates a complementary and pleasing effect. With cut-off corners, the square-shaped vessel has low-relief designs of the Eight Trigrams of the Daoist tradition. Simple and straightforward, the vessel is unique in its artistic effect.

Ru kiln celadon ware is characterized by its thin body and elegant and clean blue-green glaze that evokes “clearing sky after rain”. While the glaze color imitated Song dynasty Ru ware, its forms were innovative. Used as a flower vase, this vessel takes its form from a fish basket. It is an exquisite example of Qianlong Ru-imitation ware.

With multiple glaze colors, tricolor pottery wares in the Tang dynasty provide magnificent visual impact. This plate was glazed with the batik technique that was applied in textile manufactory at that time. The craftsman would cover some areas with wax so that these parts wouldn’t be stained with the glaze that was applied all over the clay body. In so doing, the result pottery would have some parts retain white–the color of the clay body–after the wax was peeled off.

During the Yongle reign and the Xuande reign (1426-1435), blue-and-white porcelain wares were frequently decorated with waves and foam. Although the design conveys the wish for a long and stable ruling, it is more decorative than those painted on the porcelain wares datable to the preceding Yuan dynasty (1206-1368). The large incense burner is decorated with waves and cliffs in dark cobalt blue. Crystallized black speckles are densely distributed among the decoration, reflecting the consummate porcelain-making skill in Jingdezhen kilns at the time.

Proto-porcelain, which has a glaze of greenish tinge, appeared during the Shang dynasty. Developing from stoneware with pressed décor, it was a transitional product from pottery to porcelain. The celadon firing temperature is lower than that of porcelain. Most pots were built using the coil method, and were finished with a thin layer of glaze, but the colour of this glaze was not consistent. It differs from the basic characteristics of pottery, and at the same time the techniques are still primitive in comparison to later porcelain.

Proto-porcelain, which has a glaze of greenish tinge, appeared during the Shang dynasty. Developing from stoneware with pressed décor, it was a transitional product from pottery to porcelain. The celadon firing temperature is lower than that of porcelain. During the Warring States period, proto-porcelain production developed greatly in quantity, quality, and distribution area.

The earliest ding was used as a ceramic cooking vessel. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, most ding were made in bronze and became important ritual objects for sacrifice, war, and burials. During the Warring States both celadon and lead-glazed ceramic ding appeared. These were used as burial objects in imitation of bronze vessels.

The jiaodou, or diaodou, was popular during the Han to Jin period (third century BCE to fifth century CE). It was usually on the hearth, with charcoal to keep it warm. During journeys it was carried as a heating vessel to warm food. It was commonly used on military expeditions. A Tang dynasty poem famously describes this vessel type: “The journeying people with tripod bowls (diaodou) in dark and windy weather”.

Painted pottery began from the Late Neolithic period about 5,000 years ago. Typically, such pottery vessels are painted with red, white, yellow, brown, and black directly on the grey ceramic surface, or on a white or tan slip. To reach colourful effect, this vessel is applied with many colors including red, green, blue and black, white and yellow. The elaborate pattern remains vibrant after more than 2,000 years.

The hunting design on this pot includes archery, gathering mulberry leaves to feed silkworms, and warfare on both land and water, motifs that reflect the Han society. The ceramics of the Han dynasty were commonly decorated with relief decorations. Traditional Chinese green glazes used copper oxides as the colorant. When fired in an oxidizing atmosphere, the glaze turned coppery green.

In Han dynasty burials, ceramics were numerous and diverse. Some of them were actual functional objects but most of them were “substitute objects” (ming qi), specifically made for the grave. This ceramic granary is a kind of ming qi, which first appeared in Warring States period burials and became popular during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han (r. 141-87 BCE). It was used with ming qi models of ovens and wells.

In burials of the middle Eastern Han period (25-220) figural models of domestic animals and birds increased. Traditional Chinese green glaze contains copper oxide as the colorant, so that when fired in an oxidizing atmosphere it turns coppery green.

Yi is the ancient name of a ewer. For pouring water, they are made of pottery, bronze or porcelain. The earliest colored glaze in Chinese porcelain, “celadons” were not pure green, but had tints of yellow, tan, olive, and blue.

The gui is a serving vessel similar to a large bowl and commonly made of pottery, bronze or porcelain. First appeared during the Shang dynasty, it was often used as a burial object, and . This example is an Eastern Han period porcelain gui that was unearthed from Yangshan, at Sanyu Road of Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The cups and tray are a drinking set used as burial objects. Such set was quite popular during the Tang dynasty. The number of the cups was generally five to seven. Based on the fine plasticity of the pottery clay, vessels can be shaped by various methods. This set was shaped on a rotating wheel. The wheel-made pottery vessels have regular shape and even thickness of wall, with parallel spiral tracks on the outer and inner surfaces.

This pedestal was finely made in a crabapple flower shape, although it is just a burial item. The center of the pedestal was carved with rosette design. With lustrous glaze, openwork, and pearl-ground decoration, it is a tricolor pottery masterpiece.

A symbol of authority and dignity, phoenix is a divine bird in ancient tales. It was a common decorative motif as well. Ewers with phoenix-head spouts proliferated in early Tang period (the early 7th century) as a common tricolor vessel type with conspicuous Persian style. It is an innovation for tricolor vessels to integrate alien culture with indigenous art.

The speckle glaze was a new creation during the Tang dynasty. The clay body was applied twice with glazes containing different metal oxide as the colorants, and was fired at high temperatures to achieve the splendid glaze color like colorful clouds. Kilns producing speckle-glazed wares were mainly distributed in Henan province. This jar has a lustrous black glaze, setting off the sky-blue irregular leaf-like speckles. It is very rare to see an intact piece like this, which is a masterwork among Lushan products.

Black speckle-glazed tripod plates were a unique type among speckle-glazed ceramics of the Tang dynasty. The speckle glaze was a new creation during the Tang dynasty. The clay body was applied twice with glazes containing different metal oxide as the colorants, and was fired at high temperatures to achieve the splendid glaze color like colorful clouds. The flame-like splendid colors on this plate show the bold and unconstrained style of the flambé-glazed ware.

Craftsmen of the Tang dynasty created a type of glaze containing copper, manganese, titanium, and calcium phosphate to apply to the clay body as the foundation glaze. After fired at high temperatures to make the chemicals react, the vessels showed speckles of various colors including black, sky-blue, brown, and moon-white.

An ewer is an ancient wine vessel other than a teapot, and was developed from the ewer with chicken-head spout or dish-shaped mouth. Speckle-glaze was a new creation during the Tang dynasty. Two metal oxides were used as colorants of the glaze. The raw body would be glazed twice and fired at high temperatures. The result vessel showed splendid colors like colorful clouds. This ewer has fascinating glaze patterns: blue speckles scattered on the black glaze surface.

This lamp is very unique; the bowl-shaped oil lamp is hollow inside. Water was filled in the inner layer to cool off the heat of lamp, and therefore to decrease the volatilization of the oil. Tang dynasty saw the prosperity of the Qiong kiln in Sichuan province. Surviving ceramics datable to the Tang dynasty account for the largest part, including daily-used vessels, stationery, toys, and statues.

This octagonal candlestick was designed after Islamic bronze ware. It consists of three parts–stick, stem, and base, looking like an upside-down cup. Considered imported from West Asia, the cobalt pigment shows different tones of blue.

The jar was designed and decorated after Islamic style. Scrolling leaves are pained on the neck, sea waves decorate the shoulders, and interlocking flowers occupy the stomach. Around the foot ring is painted with ruyi-shaped cloud patterns, each containing a lingzhi fungus. The foot ring is decorated with sea waves on the exterior wall while is applied with white glaze on the interior wall.

Large, heavy, and thick-walled, the dish distinguishes itself from other porcelain products dating to the Yongle period. Dishes of such type are rarely seen in China but can be found in the museums of Iran and Turkey. Very possibly it was ordered by Islamic countries, because it is their custom to sit down on the floor and eat from a large dish.

This flask was designed after an Arabic bronze ware. Floral motifs dominated porcelain wares made in the Xuande reign. Usually, two or more types of plants form the decoration in one way or another. Apart from the floral combination, single-plant motif, as shown on the flask, was also popular.

This is an imitation of West Asian metalwork. Corners of the vase’s stomach are naturally removed. Inside the flared foot are rounded tiers of decreasing diameters from the bottom, which is a characteristic of porcelain wares dating to the Xuande reign. Morning glories were also popularly used on Xuande-dated porcelain. A mixture of domestic and imported cobalt blue pigments is applied to this vase. The floral design demonstrates dark and light tones of blue; tiny speckles of the crystallized ferric oxide appear in dark colors.

This is a monk’s alms-bowl (bo). The Xuande reign saw the imperial family’s fervent belief in Buddhism, particularly the Tibetan Buddhism. At the time, a large number of Buddhist monks traveled to the capital to pay tribute to the emperor. This blue-and-white bowl is decorated with the design of dragon among clouds above sea on the exterior wall. It is a refined piece of work from the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen.

Stem bowl with red triple fish design was an invention during the Xuande reign. Other than painting the copper red pigment on the biscuit beneath the transparent glaze layer, the traditional way of making an underglaze-red porcelain ware, the craftsman first applied transparent glaze layer to the entire biscuit, after firing, he removed parts of the transparent glaze (including a certain depth of the biscuit) and filled with copper-based glaze and re-fired it at high temperatures. The resulted red fish design touches raised with the natural luster of ruby. InRecord…