What are Chinese pottery and porcelain？
2 min readPottery and porcelain refer to all products that are made of a mixture of clay，feldspar and quartz，through shaping，drying and firing.Chinese pottery and porcelain go back to distant antiquity and have played an important role in cultural development of Chinese society.China is among the first countries in the world to use pottery，and China has been recognized as the”home of porcelain，”the word“china”being synonymous with porcelain.Throughout the ages，China’s porcelain has been admired and valued by the world for its usefulness and beauty.
What are the features of the earliest pottery vessels in China？
The earliest pottery vessels so far found in China are those unearthed at the sites in Xinzheng，Wu’an and Yuyao counties.The vessels found at the Hemudu sithave large quantities of organic matter such as grass，powdered leaves and seed hulls from a grass family mixed with the clay.Firing turned the organic matter to charcoal，which made the pottery black.These vessels were entirely hand-made and fired at a fairly low temperature.The walls of the vessel body were rather thick，and their appearance was simple and irregular.Jars were often uneven in thickness，and the color was not properly curved.Some were even distorted in appearance，which indicates that the art at that time was very primitive.
What are features of painted pottery in primitive society？
Primitive cultures produced painted pottery utensils，especially during the periods of the Yangshao Culture，Daxi Culture and the Qujialing Culture.Potters also produced painted cauldrons，tripods and ovens for cooking，as well as rings，beads and other small objects for use and ornaments.These designs were wel1 arranged and graceful.Most were painted on a red pottery background.
Primitive dwellers on the Central Plains used parallel lines，circles，checks，waves and herring patterns in accordance with the shape of the vessels.Pottery unearthed in Huaxian County，Shanxi Province，has a pattern of standing swans andflying wild birds；vessels found in Banpo Village have patterns of wild deer and long-tailed aquatic birds with fish in their beaks.One pottery basin was painted with the smiling face of a man who wore a fish-shaped headdress.
During the period of the Longshan Culture，the pottery manufacture changed from clan ownership to family ownership.Pottery vessels achieved regularity of shape.
The paste was even，and some vessels’walls were as thin as eggshell.This kind of pottery is known as”eggshell black pottery .”The black color was due to a relatively high charcoal content.Utensils and vessels made of black pottery include bowls，basins，plates and others，such as the gui ，a three-legged cooking vessel with a handle，and jia ，wine goblets，which were new products that did not exist in the Yangshao Period.
