Chinese ceramics
Chinese ceramics are fired-clay wares made in China, ranging from everyday vessels to finely decorated porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware.
Porcelain: A dense, vitrified ceramic made from refined clay and fired at high temperatures, often translucent in thin sections. Its hard, pale body became a defining material of Chinese ceramic production.
Yangshao culture: A Neolithic culture in northern China known for painted pottery and settlements along the Yellow River. Its painted vessels provide early evidence of sophisticated ceramic craft in China.
Chinese tea culture: The customs, practices, and institutions surrounding tea in China. Tea preparation encouraged specialized bowls, teapots, and vessels in changing ceramic styles.
Silk Road: A network of overland trade routes linking East Asia with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Ceramics traveled through these routes, carrying Chinese techniques and styles across regions.
Japanese ceramics: Ceramic wares made in Japan, including pottery traditions shaped by local materials and aesthetics. Japanese kilns developed related techniques while pursuing distinct forms and surface effects.
Stoneware: A durable, vitrified ceramic fired at high temperatures, generally opaque and less refined than porcelain. Chinese kilns developed major stoneware traditions before porcelain emerged.
Longshan culture: A late Neolithic culture in northern China associated with thin-walled, polished black pottery. Its delicate black wares show an early pursuit of technical refinement.
Chinese burial practices: Ritual customs and material practices associated with death and burial in China. Ceramic tomb goods supplied models of buildings, servants, animals, and daily objects.
Porcelain trade: The international commerce in porcelain, especially between China and overseas markets. Chinese production supplied a large share of the world’s traded porcelain for centuries.
Korean ceramics: Ceramic wares made in Korea, including celadon, buncheong, and white porcelain traditions. Korean ceramic traditions interacted with Chinese models but developed their own signatures.