When was Chinese porcelain invented？
3 min readAcademic circles still debate when this occurred.Some scholars think that porcelain originated in the Wei and Jin dynasties；others look to the date of the origin within the Eastern Han Dynasty or the Three Kingdoms Period.The most recent viewpoint，based on new data and chemical findings from 1972，claims that porcelain goes back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
China’s earliest porcelain was proto-celadon which dates back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties.Its paste is called”china clay.”Vessels excavated from a Western Zhou tomb in Tunxi ，Anhui Province，for example，have a paste that contains a substance similar to the fine clay still used today in Jingdezhen Kilns .The only difference between the remote and present pastes is that the older is not so carefully washed and refined.
What is celadon？
From the Shang and Zhou dynasties，Chinese porcelain is called proto-celadon. Down to the Warring States Period，porcelain is termed“early celadon.”Its glaze is fairly thick and glossy，and its color a rather dark blue-green.
Complete sets of celadon vessels were manufactured as early as at the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty.In addition to the blue-green glaze，vessels have pale grey，yellowish green and brownish black glazes.
During the Tang Dynasty，celadon manufacture reached a high degree of perfection.The most important manufacturing site is that of the Yue Kilns in Yuezhou ，South China.These kilns were the early center of celadon production.Yue celadon is described as“jade like，””ice like”or”the color of infused tea.”Its pale blue-green glaze was translucent and lustrous.Yue celadon was also a tribute item to the reigning imperial court.
During the Song Dynasty，Longquan Kilns in Longquan County and several other counties in Zhejiang Province became the center of celadon manufacture in South China.These kilns remained in existence for 700 years from the Song to the Qing Dynasty，and some of the products were shipped overseas.
What is white porcelain？
While the kilns in South China manufactured celadon porcelain，white porcelain was produced in North China.It emerged during the Northern and Southern Dynasties，and its china clay and glaze were white in color.White porcelain vessels have been unearthed from the tomb of Fancui in Northern Qi in Anyang County ，Henan Province，representing China’s earliest white porcelain so far discovered.
During the Tang Dynasty，the quality of white porcelain was greatly improved. Xing porcelain ，produced at the Xing Kilns at the site of Neiqiu，Hebei Province，was the most important white porcelain of the Tang Dynasty. Some scholars describe the white glaze of the porcelain produced at the Xing Kilns as“silver-like”and“snow-like.”
Down to the Song Dynasty，ding white porcelain ，produced at the Ding Kilns at the site of Quyang in Hebei Province，gradually replaced the xing white porcelain of the Tang.Ding porcelain is spotlessly white，with some decorative patterns added.White porcelain had far-reaching prospects and gradually became China’s prime porcelain product.Its white color also served as the bottom color for painted porcelain.
