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History of China
This is a short history of china, china painting, and porcelain ceramics. People needed a container for liquids. In Europe, hard porcelain, bone china, Delftware, and pottery making are referred to as ceramics. Porcelain is sometimes called the "Queen of the Clays."
Cave dwellers in Turkey as early as 7000 BC began making clay vessels. Painted pottery was found as early as 6000 BC in Anatolia Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Persia (Iran). In order to make pots to hold liquids the Egyptian potters built ovens in 5000 BC. A 1000 years later a vertical kiln was invented. These kilns made it easier to control the heat and to produce a serviceable pot. Glazing was not discovered until nearly 2000 years later.
The potter's wheel was invented in 3000 BC, along with the knowledge necessary to make a clay worth of firing, "throwing" pots on a wheel, firing and glazing. By 1900 BC, the Egyptians were making a brilliant turquoise-blue glaze, as well as glazes of black, red, apple green, purple and yellow.
Between 1600 BC and 1050 BC, hand-formed, highly ornamented pieces that when fired were almost as hard as metal were made on the Isle of Cypress. Fine stoneware was made in China from 481 to 221 with the same material properties as porcelain today but grey in color. This stoneware was known as proto-porcelain. The color depended on the clay used.
When the Romans invaded Egypt, they brought back gold, jewels, and artisans as slaves who then produced pottery for them About 100 AD, green and yellow glazed-ware was made in Gaul (now know as northern Italy and France.) By 200 AD, glazed-ware moved into the Rhineland.
"Archanist" is a word meaning a person who "possesses a secret". Each factory or government involved in making pottery had their own Archanist. It was their duty to produce better pottery than another factory and to be a leader in the field of pottery making.
Far to the east in China, in 500 AD, a man named Tamo landed in Nanking and planted the first tea bushes. Tea created a demand for hard, fine glazed china. During the Tang Dynasty in 618AD, the Chinese began making hard porcelain. The Chinese Archanists were the very best keepers of a secret. China remained the master and sole producer of hard porcelain in the entire world. This is the reason the words "china" and "hard porcelain" are synonymous.
During the Sung Dynasty, 960-1279 AD, China produced high fired porcelain with tinted glazes. In 1191 AD, tea was planted in Japan. In 1223 AD, a Japanese potter went to China to learn the art, but it would be another 400 years before Japan produced hard porcelain. Other countries followed. Spain, Italy, and all through Europe each factory competed trying to come up with different clays, different ways of glazing and firing to produce beauty.
China was plagued with overthrown governments and politics. It wasn't until 1681 that the Imperial factory was rehabilitated. The era of china in China ended about 1865. Finally once again there are factories producing in China and several artist/teachers from the United States have hosted tours for china painters to visit these factories in the land where it all started.
In Europe, each ruling family desired to own the best. Many of the factories still bare their names. Royal Dolton, Royal Delft, Royal Crown, and Royal Porcelain are just a few. It has only been in the last 150 years that porcelain became affordable to people other than the very wealthy. Types of decoration have also taken the names of the factories or city where the factory is located. Most of us are familiar with Meissen and Dresden chinaware. The Dutch have produced the famous Delftware since the 1400's.
Other factories were backed by some king, ruling family, or wealthy merchant. Factories came and went with the rulers or were fought over in the "spoils of war".
Many factories still remain in Europe today. Limoges, Rosenthal, Heuthenruter, and Pirkenhammer are a few that are still producing fine quality ware for decorating. Picard started in France and also has a factory producing in the Untied States. It is considered a "soft" porcelain. It's lovely soft cream color gives a special glow to the portraits painted today.
This is just a very small taste of the history of fine china. For further reading go to your local library or the World Wide Web and check under "ceramics". Most porcelain artists and china painters consider "ceramics" a nasty word, but that is our "snobbery" coming out. Our fine "Queen" is a ceramic. (mgc)
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