China is the hometown of porcelain, and the invention of porcelain is a great contribution of the Chinese nation to world civilization. In English, the word "China" also means "China". China's early porcelain appeared in the middle of Shang Dynasty in BC16th century. It is generally called "primitive porcelain" because it is still rough in the firing process of the carcass and glaze layer, and the firing temperature is also low, showing originality and transition.
Porcelain was born out of pottery, and its invention was gradually explored by the ancient ancestors of China in the experience of firing white pottery and printing hard pottery. To fire porcelain, three conditions must be met at the same time: first, the raw materials for porcelain making must be porcelain stone, porcelain clay or kaolin rich in minerals such as timely and sericite; Second, the firing temperature must be above 1200℃; Thirdly, the glazed surface fired at high temperature is applied to the surface of the device.
As the product of the transition from pottery to porcelain, primitive porcelain has the characteristics of compact embryo, durability, easy cleaning and gorgeous appearance, so it has broad development prospects. The continuous improvement of firing technology and output of primitive porcelain has laid a foundation for porcelain to gradually replace pottery as the main vessel in China people's daily life.
China porcelain evolved from pottery, and the original porcelain originated more than 3000 years ago. In the Song Dynasty, famous kilns were spread all over most of China, which was the most prosperous period of porcelain industry. At that time, Jun Kiln, Ge Kiln, Guan Kiln, Ru Kiln and Ding Kiln were called five famous kilns. Blue-and-white porcelain produced in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, known as the porcelain capital, became the representative of porcelain. Blue-and-white porcelain enamel is as transparent as water, the tire is thin and light, and white porcelain is painted with blue patterns, which is elegant, fresh and full of vitality. Once blue and white porcelain appeared, it was all the rage and became the crown of Jingdezhen's traditional famous porcelain. Blue-and-white porcelain is also called the four famous porcelain, including blue-and-white exquisite porcelain, pastel porcelain and glazed porcelain. In addition, there are porcelain carvings, thin-walled porcelain and multicolored fetal porcelain, all of which are exquisite and unique.
Colored porcelain is one of the great inventions in ancient China. "Porcelain" and "China" are the same word in English, which fully shows that China's exquisite porcelain can be regarded as the representative of China.
The real porcelain in China was produced in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220). During this period, on the basis of the development of production technology of pottery and primitive porcelain in the previous generation, and the prevalence of northward migration and reburial in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the area centered on Shangyu and Zhejiang in East China became the birthplace of China porcelain with its unique conditions. This four-series pot with blue glaze and water ripple unearthed in Mianguan Town, Shangyu County, Zhejiang Province shows us the initial development of porcelain firing technology. The production technology and artistic creation of porcelain in Tang dynasty have reached a very high mature level; In the Song Dynasty, the porcelain industry flourished and famous kilns emerged. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, from blank making, decoration, glazing to firing, the technology surpassed that of the previous generation. China's ceramic industry is still thriving, with high quality and beautiful appearance. Among them, the famous ceramic producing areas are Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, Liling in Hunan, Shiwan in Guangdong, Fengxi, Yixing in Jiangsu, Tangshan in Hebei, Handan and Zibo in Shandong.