Techniques · Technique
青花 qīnghuā
Underglaze blue painting
Underglaze blue is cobalt decoration painted on a ceramic body, covered with transparent glaze, and fired into the finished surface.
The name describes sequence as much as colour: cobalt is applied before the transparent glaze. A surface print or overglaze blue may resemble blue-and-white ware in a distant image but records a different process.
Brush movement, cobalt pooling and the glaze layer can provide clues. None independently proves kiln, age or maker.
Related records
Sources and further reading
- Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain and its global trade importance