Chinese

The term “Chinese” refers to anything relating to China or its culture. Chinese civilisation is considered to be one of the world’s oldest civilisations. Earliest Chinese art made extensive use of pottery and jade. Porcelain was introduced and refined in early imperial China. In English language, the word “China” became synonymous with superior-quality porcelain, primarily because raw materials required for making ceramics were widely available in China. About eleven thousand years ago, during the Palaeolithic Era, the first Chinese ceramics were made. Different types of Chinese ceramics include sophisticated porcelain wares for the imperial court, hand-built pottery vessels fired in bonfires or kilns and construction materials like bricks and tiles.

Chinese porcelain is generally green-fired or once-fired, meaning the body of the porcelain and its glaze are fired together. It is made using porcelain stone, china clay or a blend of the two materials. A number of Chinese porcelain wares were also decorated by impressed cord marks, and features were formed by stamping and piercing. Different types of Chinese porcelain wares comprise Tang sancai burial wares, Jian tea wares, Qingbai wares and ‘Blue and White’ wares. Many wares made towards the end of the nineteenth century or later had distinct Kangxi reign-marks on them. Many antique pieces of Chinese pottery and porcelain are available on online shopping sites like eBay.