Why can blue-and-white ceramics be made of different materials?
A white surface decorated in blue can conceal different ceramic bodies. Porcelain and tin-glazed earthenware may share a color scheme while achieving the result through different materials and processes. Looking beyond decoration helps separate visual resemblance from material identification.
Questions you could explore
- What could a catalog description reveal that a surface photograph cannot?
Start reading
- Dutch DelftwareWhat is Delftware?
Delftware’s specialist collection site explains the earthenware body and white tin glaze.
- Victoria and Albert MuseumChinese blue-and-white ceramics
The V&A describes Chinese blue-and-white ceramics, cobalt decoration, and porcelain.
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