Jingdezhen Hand Painted Blue and White Porcelain Gaiwan

Jingdezhen, located in the northeastern part of Jiangxi Province, is renowned as the "Porcelain Capital." Its history of porcelain production dates back to the Han Dynasty and reached its zenith during the mid-Ming Dynasty. The most celebrated features of Jingdezhen porcelain are its superior material quality, vibrant glaze colors, intricate decorations, and diverse forms. The porcelain is characterized by its fine, translucent texture and a rich variety of glaze styles, including blue and white (青花), famille rose (粉彩), underglaze red (釉里红), and blue and white with added colors (青花加彩).

This Gaiwan exemplifies Jingdezhen's traditional blue-and-white porcelain glaze technique. The manufacturing process involves: 1) Hand-painting motifs on bisque ware (unglazed ceramic body) using natural cobalt pigment; 2) Applying transparent glaze coating; 3) Single firing at temperatures exceeding 1300°C. The cobalt pigment chemically bonds with the clay body beneath the glaze layer, achieving stable indigo hues through this distinctive "underglaze cobalt" structure. Its advantages include color durability that does not fade over time, a smooth and wear-resistant glaze surface, and it is non-toxic and harmless, making it suitable for daily use.

The entire Gaiwan set - from the lid, interior/exterior surfaces, to the base saucer - features classic interlocking floral scroll patterns. These patterns are symmetrically distributed along the central axis, accentuating visual balance. The vine structure forms an endless loop configuration, symbolizing the Taoist philosophy of cyclical renewal. While the main blossoms appear similar at first glance, each demonstrates micro-variations in petal morphology. Common botanical subjects include lotus, peony, and chrysanthemum, whose intricate depictions manifest the artisan's freehand brushwork mastery and ultimately determine the tea set's collectible valuation.

The base bears the inscription "Xu Family Kiln" (徐家柴窑), a historic wood-fired kiln complex located in Jingdezhen spanning 1,037 sq.m. Originally privately owned, this kiln was incorporated into the Jianguo State-Owned Porcelain Factory after 1949, specializing in three ceramic categories: domestic ware for daily use, diplomatic porcelain for state ceremonies, and artistic display ceramics. Today, it stands as one of the best-preserved ceramic kiln sites in Jingdezhen, embodying a rich historical and cultural heritage along with unique ceramic artistry.

Jingdezhen is a famous city of porcelain crafts due to its long history of the art since the Han Dynasty - and since the Yuan Dynasty when it began producing imperial porcelain for the royal court. Jingdezhen’s porcelain crafts are noted for their beautiful shape, wide variety, rich decoration, and unique style, and are often characterized by the saying “white as jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper, sound of a chime”. The four traditionally-recognized types of Jingdezhen porcelain are: blue and white; rice-pattern; famille rose; and color-glazed.