12th & 13th centuries
Jingdezhen's bluish white
Before its celebrated blue-and-white vessels, Jingdezhen made Qingbai porcelain with a pale, bluish glaze. It reached Japan, Southeast Asia and East Africa.
Following the Carving on a Qingbai BottleChinese porcelain, across the world
Three objects in museum collections trace its journey across cultures.
14th century
Blue and white across borders
Jingdezhen potters refined clay recipes and firing methods during the Yuan dynasty. Their blue-and-white vessels travelled widely, including to the Middle East, and inspired makers abroad.
Chinese porcelain in museums16th to 18th centuries
Made for distant tables
From the 16th century, growing European trade brought new commissions to Chinese potteries. By the 18th, personalised services bore their owners' coats of arms.
A Portuguese coat of arms, painted in Jingdezhen
Jiangxi, China
Jingdezhen
A thousand years of porcelain making
Clay, kilns and generations of skilled hands made Jingdezhen a centre of porcelain production. Its vessels travelled from Chinese homes and imperial courts to collections around the world.
That history continues in the painted vessels and coloured glazes made here today.
From clay to porcelain
Shaped by hand, finished in detail, transformed by heat.
Forming
Wet clay takes shape between the hands.
Decoration
A patterned surface, worked by hand.
The kiln
Inside a traditional brick kiln.
Four traditions of Jingdezhen porcelain
Chinese blue and white porcelain
Cobalt painting beneath a clear glaze.
Famille rose
Colour painted in overglaze enamels.
Linglong porcelain
Reticulated patterns and openwork.
Coloured glazes
Colour, surface and the shape beneath.
The Imperial Archives
Contemporary pieces selected for their vessel shapes, painted detail and references to historical porcelain.
Fujian, China
Dehua
Blanc de Chine and porcelain sculpture
In Dehua, decoration can be shaped into the porcelain itself: the folds of a robe, a raised peony, a lotus opening around a stick of incense.
Our selection brings figures and flower-covered vessels together with smaller pieces for daily use.
Porcelain sculpture
Figures in white porcelain and coloured finishes, from Dehua.
Cabinet vases
Dehua vessels with flowers and foliage modelled in relief.
Incense & fragrance
Sculpted porcelain for incense and fragrance rituals.
More from Dehua
White porcelain and coloured finishes, across sculpture, vessels and tea.
The depth of a glaze
Colour takes the lead in Longquan celadon and contemporary Ru-style ware.
Longquan celadon
Green glazes shaped by the traditions of Longquan, Zhejiang.
Ru ware
Contemporary pieces inspired by the soft blue glazes of historical Ru ware.
Azure Blanc
A window into Chinese porcelain.
Chinese porcelain deserves a place in everyday life, not only in the world's great collections.
We founded Azure Blanc to bring its history, living craft and contemporary pieces into view. Through our Journal, kiln guides and considered collection, we invite you to understand Chinese porcelain, explore its traditions and find a piece to live with.
Our StoryPorcelain at home
For the room, the tea table and the small rituals of a day. Find a piece by the place it will occupy or the way you will use it.
Porcelain sculpture
Cabinet & console vases
Statement vases
Incense
Small vases
Tea ritual
Tableware
Coffee cups & saucers
At the tea table
Tea passes from the gaiwan to a sharing pitcher, then into the cups. The painted porcelain is part of each movement.
Small vases
Colour and form on a smaller scale.
The Journal
Explore the Journal
A Ding Ware Chrysanthemum Plate at The Met, New York
Two chrysanthemums turn across the ivory surface of a shallow Ding ware plate. Made in the Jin period, it retains a hand-cut design as moulded decoration became more common.
More museum stories
How to Display Porcelain Plates at Home
A plate's border deserves to be seen. How to choose a viewing position and a suitable support, with a closer look at stands, wall mounts and adhesive hangers.
More on living with porcelain
What a Reign Mark Means on Contemporary Chinese Porcelain
A practical reading of reproduced reign marks on contemporary Chinese porcelain, separating the inscription from production date and origin.
More on objects & collecting
