Hand-painted Jingdezhen Blue and White Ceramic Tea Bowl (Gaiwan)

Ceramics Tea Bowl produced in Jingdezhen.

Jingdezhen is a well-known porcelain town in China, and its flourishing blue and white porcelain is one of its most important features. The blue and white porcelain from Jingdezhen is famous for its quality, lightness, and exquisite shapes and decorations, among which the blue and white pattern is one of the main features. Jingdezhen's blue and white porcelain has not only flourished domestically but has also enjoyed a long history, sophisticated techniques, and represents a high level of Chinese ceramic culture. Moreover, Jingdezhen is also known as the "Porcelain Capital," and its firing technology has reached a high level of excellence. Blue and white porcelain is an integral part of this achievement.

The blue and white porcelain started in the Yuan Dynasty around 13^th century and reached its peak during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is made by painting patterns on the body of the porcelain using cobalt oxide, then glazing and firing it at high temperatures in one go. The colors are vibrant and the porcelain is clear and bright, with a beautiful appearance and a long-lasting quality.

Blue and white porcelain, also known locally as "Qinghua," often uses cobalt oxide for the painting, followed by a transparent glaze, and then it is fired at high temperatures around 1300 degrees Celsius. This allows the pigment to penetrate the glaze, resulting in a bright and deep blue color with a clear and elegant appearance. Blue and white is the most characteristic decorative technique among Chinese ethnic groups and one of the most developed methods of ceramic decoration in China.