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From Clay to Kiln: How Jingdezhen Porcelain Is Made
A porcelain dish holds traces of the potter’s decisions, from the curve of the wall to the way a brushstroke sits beneath the glaze. Follow a Jingdezhen vessel from clay preparation to the kiln, then look closely at a dish that combines two kinds of painted decoration.
Inside the workshop
Traditional Porcelain Production in Jingdezhen
A museum film following the traditional workshops of Jingdezhen, from clay preparation to firing.
Watch on YouTube Traditional Porcelain Production in JingdezhenPorcelain for Emperors
An archival film following specialist artisans from clay preparation and shaping to decoration, glazing and a traditional wood-fired kiln.
Watch on YouTube Porcelain for EmperorsSix stages of porcelain making
Preparing the clay
Jingdezhen potters developed a porcelain body by combining porcelain stone with kaolin. The prepared material is worked into an even consistency so it can be shaped.
Forming the vessel
On a turning wheel, the potter centres the clay and draws up the wall to establish the profile. Moulds can help produce shapes that are difficult to throw or need to be repeated.
Trimming and drying
When the clay has firmed up but can still be cut, the potter trims the wall and shapes the foot. The piece then dries before firing. The foot and the thickness of the wall are easiest to observe at this stage.
Painting and glazing
For blue-and-white porcelain, the painter applies cobalt pigment to the body before it is covered with a transparent glaze. The firing reveals the blue beneath that glassy surface.
Firing and cooling
At high temperature, the body becomes dense and the glaze fuses into a glassy layer. The firing schedule and kiln atmosphere affect the result. The vessel is removed after the kiln has cooled sufficiently.
Firing overglaze enamels
If the design calls for overglaze colours, the painter adds them to the already fired glazed surface. A separate, lower-temperature firing fixes the enamels.
Look closely at the peony dish
The Met records cobalt blue beneath the transparent glaze and coloured enamels above it. Look for the blue outlines around the flowers, then compare them with the coloured areas. The underside shows the profile of the foot ring and the places where blue decoration continues beyond the interior.
Further reading
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites
How raw materials, kilns and workshops formed an interconnected industry.
- Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art — Porcelain
A museum guide to the materials and stages of Chinese porcelain production.
- The Palace Museum — Vase with multiple glaze and enamel techniques (Chinese)
A Qing-dynasty example showing why high-fired glazes and lower-fired enamels were fired in sequence.
Which detail would you examine first on a finished piece: the foot, the glaze or the brushwork? Sign in to share your observations.
