Do you Know the Ten Most Famous Porcelains in China?

China is the world's earliest inventor and producer of porcelain. Porcelain-making techniques reached their peak during the Song Dynasty, and continued to innovate and develop in later generations, creating many distinctive porcelain categories. So, what are some of China's most famous porcelains? Sigurai has compiled a list of China's top ten famous porcelains, including blue and white porcelain, Ru ware celadon, famille rose porcelain, doucai porcelain, Ding ware white porcelain, underglaze red, enamel porcelain, and wucai porcelain. Let's take a look!

1. Blue and White Porcelain

Blue and white porcelain is considered China's "national porcelain," produced in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. Jingdezhen is renowned as the premier center for Chinese porcelain among the four major traditional porcelain-producing regions, with the blue and white porcelain produced during the Yuan and Ming dynasties being the most expensive.

Representative examples

• Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain plum vase depicting Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moon is now in the collection of the Nanjing Museum.
• Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain jar depicting Guiguzi descending the mountain sold for £15,688,000 at Christie's London on July 12, 2005.
• Ming Dynasty Yongle blue-and-white porcelain cup sold for $3.2 million at Christie's  New York in June 2023; only about 10 such cups are known to exist worldwide.

2. Ru Ware, Ru Kiln Sky Blue Glaze

Ru ware is a general term for celadon porcelain produced by the Ru kiln during the Song Dynasty. Ru ware was first fired in the late Northern Song Dynasty and was made for the imperial court. It was glazed with precious agate. It used precious agate as its glaze. After the Jin Dynasty conquered the Northern Song, the Ru kiln also disappeared.

It is generally believed that 65 pieces of Ru ware survive today. Of these, 21 are in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, 17 in the Palace Museum in Beijing, 8 in the Shanghai Museum, 7 in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art in the UK, and approximately 10 others are scattered in museums and private collections in the US, Japan, and other countries.

Representative works: 

• A celadon-glazed washer from the Northern Song Dynasty Ru ware, now in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. It was sold for HK$260 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong on October 3, 2017.

3. Famille Rose Porcelain

Famille rose porcelain, also known as "soft-painted porcelain," is a type of overglaze porcelain from the late Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Renowned for its soft colors, rich layers, and exquisite painting, it is hailed as an "Oriental art treasure." Jingdezhen continues to uphold the famille rose technique today, incorporating modern artistic styles to become a representative of high-end art porcelain.

Representative works: 

• A Qianlong-era famille rose openwork revolving vase sold for £51.6 million at Bainbridge Auction House in London on November 11, 2010, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for Chinese porcelain at auction.
• A Yongzheng-era famille rose olive-shaped vase with peach design sold for £51.6 million at Bainbridge Auction House in London on May 7, 2002, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for Chinese porcelain at auction.

4. Doucai Porcelain

Doucai porcelain originated in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, created by the kilns of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. It is renowned for its novel designs and elegant colors.

Representative work:

• The Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup of the Ming Dynasty was an imperial wine vessel, and it fetched HK$280 million at auction in 2014.

5. Ding Ware White Porcelain

Ding ware, one of the six major kiln systems of the Song Dynasty, is the center of white porcelain in northern China and a treasure of traditional Chinese porcelain-making craftsmanship. The production of Ding white porcelain began in the Tang Dynasty and became renowned in the Northern Song Dynasty. In the mid-to-late Northern Song Dynasty, Ding ware, due to its exquisite porcelain quality, elegant color, and beautiful decoration, was selected by the Song government for use in the imperial court, greatly increasing its value and making it one of the top ten porcelain types in China. Ding ware is mostly white-glazed, but also includes smaller quantities of black, brown, and green-glazed varieties.

Representative work:

• A Northern Song Dynasty Ding ware white-glazed child-shaped pillow was auctioned at Sotheby's Hong Kong and sold for HK$41.5 million. This porcelain piece is the only one of its kind in the world.

6. Underglaze Red Porcelain

Underglaze red porcelain is a type of underglaze painted porcelain created in the Yuan Dynasty. It uses copper as a colorant and is fired in a high-temperature reducing atmosphere to create red patterns. It is often combined with blue and white porcelain to form the blue and white underglaze red technique. Underglaze red porcelain developed through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, forming decorative techniques such as line drawing, white glaze application, and painting. The shapes of the vessels include bottles, pots, and bowls. Extant examples are represented by the Yuhuchun bottle from the late Yuan Dynasty and the folk kiln wine vessels from the Yongle and Xuande periods.

Representative work:

• A Yuan dynasty blue-and-white underglaze red openwork covered jar, sold at Christie's Hong Kong in 2004 for HK$44 million.

7. Enamelware and Famille Rose Porcelain

Enamel-painted and famille rose porcelain were imperial porcelains used in the Qing Dynasty, with only about 400 pieces surviving worldwide.

Representative work:

• Pink-ground enamel-painted floral bowl from the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, sold for HK$238.8 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong in April 2018.

8. Five-color Porcelain

Wucai (five-color) porcelain is a treasure of Chinese ceramic art. It was popularized during the Ming Dynasty and is also known as "Da Ming Wucai" (Great Ming Five-Color). The most famous are the polychrome porcelain from the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty.

Representative work:

• A Polychrome Fish and Seaweed Patterned Large Covered Jar from the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty was auctioned for HK$181 million at Christie's Hong Kong in 2017, setting a record for Jiajing polychrome porcelain at auction.

9. Official Kiln Celadon Porcelain

Imperial porcelain, or Guan kiln porcelain, refers to porcelain made for the imperial court in ancient China under the direct supervision of the government. Its production began in the Tang Dynasty and evolved through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, encompassing both ritual vessels and everyday utensils. The most valuable are those from the official kilns of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Representative work:

• Southern Song Dynasty official kiln celadon octagonal string-patterned dish-mouthed vase (Palace Museum, Beijing): Regular shape, octagonal shape, powder blue glaze, natural crackle, typical purple mouth and iron foot; sold for HK$113 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2018.

10. Jun Porcelain, Jun kiln Transmutation Glaze

Jun ware originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty and is one of the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty. It is also a treasure of traditional Chinese porcelain making and is known as a national treasure and gem. There are Chinese proverbs such as "Gold has a price, but Jun ware is priceless" and "A fortune is not as valuable as a single piece of Jun ware."

Representative work:

• A rose-purple glazed flowerpot from the Jun kiln of the Northern Song Dynasty, now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.
  

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