The Xia and Shang dynasties had porcelain production techniques involving high-temperature firing, porcelain raw material selection, and glaze invention closely related to these three conditions. It is based on the selection of porcelain clay or porcelain stone as raw materials, ingredients, molding, drying, and calcination processes to make objects. Porcelain firing must have three conditions: First, the selection of raw materials and processing reduces Fe2O3 and increases Al2O3, meaning it must be rich in quartz and mica and other minerals to ensure whiteness; at 1300 degrees Celsius in high-temperature firing, it becomes dense and hard, non-absorbent, and emits a crisp sonorous sound when struck; the surface is vitreous enamel fired at high temperatures, closely connected with the glaze, making the glaze layer less prone to peeling off, ensuring uniform thickness, and water absorption of less than 1%.
Porcelain differs from pottery due to its firing conditions, reflected in the use of different materials, glazes, firing temperatures, rigidity, transparency, and more. Porcelain has many advantages over pottery in both practical and artistic terms, gradually replacing Han Dynasty pottery's leading position in the history of ceramics, becoming China’s unique national masterpiece.
The invention of porcelain is the result of the working people of ancient China playing with and applying their wisdom in pottery works, accumulating long-term practical experience, and continuously improving raw material selection and processing methods, increasing sintering temperatures, summarizing glazing techniques, and achieving creative results. Replacing pottery, porcelain not only facilitates people’s daily lives but also enriches their aesthetic tastes, proving that the Chinese nation is a highly creative one. Each process in the creation of porcelain embodies the intelligence, hard work, and sweat of ancient ancestors, containing significant historical and artistic value.
Porcelain flowed endlessly out of China after the Han and Tang Dynasties, promoting economic and cultural exchanges with the outside world at that time, profoundly impacting the traditional culture and lifestyle of people in other countries. It also enables the world to know China through the development of slavery during the Shang period, about the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC. An early stage with the division of labor system for ceramic production became independent, focusing mainly on gray and white pottery production. In the middle Shang period, China discovered the earliest primitive porcelain and stamped hard pottery, laying the foundation for the further development of Chinese porcelain.
In the Zhou Dynasty, ceramics reached perfection. Compared to the previous generation, still muddy gray pottery and sand inclusion gray pottery were prevalent. Both muddy and gray sand terracotta ornamentation mostly included mosaic pachytene, dragon and phoenix Kui cloud, etc., drawing a wide range of aesthetic values improved. The shapes of Ge, steamer, Tang, cans, pottery, pots, etc., are all used for worshiping gods, straw cooking, and diet, very complete. During the Warring States Period, ceramics first-generation development was more focused and professional. Still Pottery mainly involved multi-wheel systems for mass production, imitating copper ritual pottery funerary objects such as tripods, bean pots, Ken, decoration, and extreme particularity, often using floral patterns, grinding points, lines engraved, Zhu painting and other various techniques. Additionally, figurines, in-kind ceramic molds, and animal pottery generally replaced the dead in their tombs, reflecting progress in people's attitudes and social system changes.
The original porcelain in the early stages of porcelain, close to the tire of raw materials and the clay surface applied lime glaze porcelain fired at 1200-degree heat. Its delicate and hard fetus, knock the stone of sound, light glaze, green, applied in the device table and the rim part, the end of the glaze thin. Compared with white pottery and pottery, relatively hard and durable, easy to pollute and feast for the eyes. Produced a number of proto-porcelain clay plate construction methods, supplemented by pinching and wheel systems, the shape of a statue, Ken, pot, spoon beans, and other outstanding features are exposure, puff, folding shoulder, a small bottom. Common ornamentation well-checkered, basket pattern, vein pattern, sawtooth pattern, Xianwen seat pattern, circle pattern, Jomon and so on. With the same period stamped hard pottery decorative styles are extremely similar.
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