中國陶瓷

Beginning from the Neolithic Banpo Culture , China's ceramic industry has a history of over 6,000years.

The earliest Neolithid earthenware with very few adornments mainly falls into three categories: storing,boiling and drinking vessels. By the late Neolithic Age, carving decorative patterns on the surface of earthen-ware became a common practice, and the burnished black pottery of the Longshan Culture~, which is as thin as eggshell, represents the highest technological level of baking earthenware at that time.

The earliest glazed pottery appeared during the Shang Dynasty （c. 1600-1100 BC）. Three achievements had been made in this period. Firstly, the combustion chamber, originally on one side, was built directly below the oven where earthen items were placed, thus heating the oven to a temperature of 1,18000. Secondly,as a result of the raised temperature, the white pottery made of kaolin and decorated with exquisite geometric and tao-tie~ designs were successfully baked. Finally, tile.invention of lime glaze had greatly improved the pottery's impervious, antifouling property.

However, challenged by the newly emerging bronze ware and lacquerware, the pace of change in the primitive ceramic industry had slowed down since the 16th century BC. It had a new lease of life during the Eastern Han Dynasty （25-220） with the high-temperature firing of celadon ware, which marked the appear-ance of the real porcelain in China.

Neolithic Pottery

Han Dynasty: A Leap from Pottery to Porcelain

Pottery and Porcelain of the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties

Pottery and Porcelain of the Sui and Tang Dynasties

Pottery and Porcelain of the Song Dynasty

Pottery and Porcelain of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties

Pottery and Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty

Modern Ceramics