Qingbai ware

Qingbai ware (青白瓷), also known as yingqing (影青, “shadow-blue”) ware, is a type of translucent porcelain with a pale blue-green glaze produced primarily in the Jingdezhen region of Jiangxi, China. Qingbai developed during the late Tang period and reached its aesthetic height in the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. It marks a crucial stage in the evolution of Chinese high-fired white porcelains and is considered one of the earliest porcelains to achieve true translucency.

B-Qingbai-Kanne mit Deckel. Song. Museum für Asiatische Kunst.

Historical Background

Qingbai emerged from earlier southern white wares during the late 10th century. The kilns of Jingdezhen, then still a developing ceramic region, refined local porcelain stone and kaolin clay to create a smooth, lightweight body that could be fired at high temperatures. By the Northern Song period, Qingbai ware was widely produced and circulated throughout the empire.

During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Qingbai was both a domestic ware and an export product via the South China Sea trade routes. Qingbai bowls, ewers, incense burners, and burial vessels have been found across Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East.

In the Yuan period, Qingbai production at Jingdezhen laid the technological foundation for the development of blue-and-white porcelain, which eventually surpassed Qingbai in prestige and output.

Materials and Production

Qingbai ware is characterized by:

• A white porcelain body made from a mixture of porcelain stone (瓷石) and kaolin
• A clear glaze with a slight blue or green tint caused by trace iron content
• High-temperature firing, typically around 1250–1300°C

Production steps:

1. Clay refinement and kneading
2. Throwing, molding, or slab-form shaping
3. Trimming and smoothing
4. Application of thin glaze
5. High-temperature reduction firing

The bluish tint develops naturally in reduction atmospheres and is not due to added pigments.

Decorative Techniques

Qingbai decoration is typically subtle and relies on interaction between glaze and light. Common approaches include:

• Carving (雕花) — motifs cut into the surface before glazing
• Incising (刻花) — fine linework, often floral or cloud motifs
• Molding / Press-molding — relief designs created using molds
• Openwork (镂空) — pierced ornament, especially in incense burners
• Faceted or lobed forms — inspired by metalwork and silver vessels

The resulting aesthetic is described as **elegant, light, and quiet**, closely associated with Song dynasty taste.

Regional and Kiln Variants

While Jingdezhen kilns were the primary center, Qingbai ware was also produced at:

Kiln / Region	Notes
Jingdezhen (景德镇)	Core production center and stylistic origin
Hutian Kilns (湖田窑)	Major Song–Yuan production zone within the Jingdezhen area
Yaozhou-influenced satellite kilns	Forms occasionally reflect stylistic influence from northern celadon traditions
Southern coastal export kilns	Produced Qingbai ware specifically for maritime export markets

Cultural Significance

Qingbai ware embodies key values of Song-era aesthetics:

• Subtle beauty over display
• Harmony between material and form
• Refined simplicity

It was used for:

• Daily tableware
• Tea service
• Incense utensils
• Burial and ritual objects
• Diplomatic and trade export goods

Qingbai also represents the technological bridge from early celadon to the later dominance of Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain.

Related Styles

• Jingdezhen porcelain
• Yingqing ware
• Qingbai carved ware
• Blue and white porcelain
• Longquan celadon

References

• Medley, Margaret. The Chinese Potter: A Practical History of Chinese Ceramics.
• Li Zhiyan et al., Chinese Ceramics: From the Paleolithic to the Qing.
• Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics.