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How to choose ceramic tableware? Just read this article
Recently, a friend has moved into a new house and is planning to give her a set of Jingdezhen ceramic tableware as a congratulatory gift. I have done some homework specifically for this purpose. Today, I will share with you how to choose underglaze color, underglaze color, and underglaze color tableware.
Many people recommend ceramic tableware. Most people are concerned about the appearance of tableware, but few care about whether these tableware are safe or not. Someone has mentioned underglaze coloring, but I haven't seen a systematic explanation. Let me start with this topic. To discuss the patterns of ceramics, we first need to briefly talk about the production process of ceramics. In the simplest terms, ceramics are made by mixing raw materials in a certain proportion and processing them into desired shapes such as bowls or plates. The ceramics produced in this way are called green bodies.
Ceramic green bodies are dried and fired at low temperatures to become green bodies. After making the raw material, we need to put a layer of clothing on the ceramic, which is glazing. Ceramic glazing can be understood as putting a layer of glass on the clay raw material, and this dressing process needs to be carried out at high temperatures in the kiln.
Normally, this layer of clothing is transparent, and the ceramic color you see is the color displayed by the raw material after high-temperature firing. This is what people often refer to as white porcelain. According to the relative position between the ceramic pattern and the transparent glaze, the coloring methods of ceramics can be divided into underglaze coloring, underglaze coloring, and overglaze coloring.
Sometimes, for the sake of artistic effect, the clothes worn on the plain may not be transparent. Depending on the clothes, we can also see ceramics with different colors such as crystal glaze, broken grain glaze, and colored glaze.
1、 Glazed color
As the name suggests, it is a type of low-temperature porcelain that is decorated by painting with colored materials on the glaze surface. The patterns are prone to wear and fade. Many low-priced ceramic tableware on the market are mostly glazed.
From outside to inside is' color glaze body '. The color is on the glaze and feels raised when touched.
The firing temperature is generally between 600 ℃ and 900 ℃
Advantages: Low roasting temperature, stable color development of color materials, bright and rich color tones, and no volatilization (or reaction) color change due to roasting.
Disadvantages: The adhesion between the color material and the glaze surface is poor, prone to mechanical wear, and susceptible to acid and alkali corrosion. It is not as durable as underglaze and underglaze. Daily ceramics are not recommended, decorative ceramics can be used.
Main categories: antique color, enamel color, pink color, new color, light red color, Guangcai
2、 Underglaze color
It combines the advantages of underglaze color and overglaze color, and is made by two high-temperature firing processes, making it a high-temperature porcelain.
From outside to inside, "glaze color glaze body". The color is bright and vivid in the glaze, and feels smooth to the touch.
The firing temperature is around 1250 ℃ -1340 ℃
Advantages: Combining the rich colors of overglaze and the delicate and crystal clear colors of underglaze, the surface is smooth and flat, the colors are bright, and it has strong decorative and artistic appeal. After two high-temperature firing processes, it has excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance, and high safety. Widely applicable, it is suitable for making daily necessities such as tableware and tea sets, as well as for making various artistic porcelain to meet the needs of different occasions and people.
Collectible value: Currently, porcelain with underglaze color craftsmanship is relatively rare and expensive in the market, often becoming art treasures in major auctions.
Disadvantages: The production process is complex, requiring precise control of temperature, time, and other parameters, and usually requires multiple firing processes, resulting in low yield of finished products. The production cycle is long and the process difficulty is high, resulting in relatively high production costs and relatively low output. There is a high demand for painting skills. As the color material presents the effect in the glaze layer, the skill level of the painter is required to be high. Skilled painting skills and rich experience are needed to accurately draw exquisite patterns on the glaze surface.
3、 Underglaze color
Also known as "kiln color", it is painted on a plain substrate and then fired with transparent glaze, resulting in relatively stable and soft colors.
From the outside to the inside, "glaze color body", the color is under the glaze, and the color is antique.The firing temperature is around 1200 ℃ -1300 ℃
Advantages: The color is long-lasting, the pigment is enclosed under the glaze layer, isolated from the external environment, and not easily worn or eroded. High safety, the melting point of porcelain glaze is very high, and it will not come into direct contact with pigments when used under fully enclosed glaze.
Disadvantages: The process is complex and requires fine operations such as painting on the body, which requires high skill from the painter. The price is generally higher than that of ordinary ceramics or glazed ceramic products. Some special pigments may undergo changes during high-temperature firing, affecting the color expression effect.
Summary:
Safety: underglaze color ＞ underglaze color ＞ overglaze color
Process difficulty: underglaze color ＞ underglaze color ＞ overglaze color
Price: underglaze color ＞ underglaze color ＞ overglaze color
Color vividness: overglaze color ＞ underglaze color ＞ underglaze color
Recommendation index: underglaze color ＞ underglaze color ＞ overglaze color
In fact, the vastness of Chinese porcelain is beyond the scope of this small article. Welcome tableware enthusiasts to come and exchange and discuss together~