Porcelain Collecting

Porcelain is a white, fine-grained ceramic material that rings if struck. As early as the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), the Chinese were making an early form of porcelain, although the hard-paste, or true, porcelain developed during the later Yuan dynasty (1279–1368 CE). Still, the Tang porcelain was valued enough to be widely traded, and fragments have been found at Samarra on the Tigris River in a ninth century summer palace. The first recorded mention of porcelain that survives comes from a trader from that region in 851 CE.

Koreans also developed porcelain, first with the celadon (green glaze), and later with white clay. In the fifteenth century, white porcelain was adopted as imperial ware. A century later, this elite association increased the demand for and popularity of white ware. While undecorated white ware was admired, white with blue, brown, or red designs was also fashionable.

Portuguese traders were the first to export porcelain from China to the West. Dutch, English, and other European traders soon followed, expanding the trade. In 1784, the ship The China Empress landed in Macau, thus beginning the export trade with the new country of the United States.

During the late seventeenth century, the Japanese began producing what is known as Kakiemon porcelain, named for the potters who perfected the technique of overglazing so that color can be added to designs. Kakiemon porcelain is often hexagonal or square and features bird or plant motifs. King William and Queen Mary of England started a craze for this style when they brought their collection from Germany to England shortly after its development.

Medieval European artisans attempted to create porcelain, which is a combination of kaolin (a fine, white clay) and china stone, or feldspar, a rock that fuses into natural glass under high temperatures. To achieve the translucent quality, they combined clay and ground glass. This mixture, which could be fired at lower temperatures, is known as soft-paste or artificial porcelain. It generally has tiny black imperfections; rather than being translucent under light, it resembles pudding. Under the patronage of the Medici family, soft-paste porcelain was made in Florence, Italy, beginning in the late sixteenth century. Both the English and French attempts at porcelain also use this combination.

In 1707, at the Meissen factory in Saxony, German potters discovered how to make hard-paste porcelain. By the end of the century, French and English potters had also discovered the method. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, English potters created bone china, the third type of porcelain. Bone china does not easily chip, because calcined bone from farm animals has been added to the hard-paste formula of china stone that has been ground into a powder and mixed with a white china clay known as kaolin. Bone china is generally preferred in Great Britain and the US, while European countries prefer hard-paste porcelain.

During the colonial era in North America, a few businesses made porcelain. Most people who could afford porcelain preferred to commission sets from China or Britain with special commemorative designs or monograms. Following the American Revolution, the eagle was a particularly popular motif. George and Martha Washington had a set of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain.

Things to Look For

Hand-painted items are more valuable than those with decals. The hand-painted plate or figure will show brush strokes. Items should always be checked for damage before buying. A piece that has been repaired will need extra care. Anything that appears not to be a part of the work should not be discarded until one is certain that it is not; sometimes an insert adds to the value of a vase or urn. Value is also added if the original packaging comes with the piece.

True or hard-paste porcelain cannot be cut with a file and can have dirt removed easily. Artificial porcelain, because it has a softer body, can be cut and dirt cannot be removed without difficulty.

Both soft-paste and true porcelain may bear marks or symbols on the bottom, indicating where the item was made, its manufacturer, or a pattern name. Marks on Chinese porcelain are not completely trustworthy; later artisans paid homage to early masters by using their forms and marks. One must study the Meissen crossed sword trademark carefully as it has often been faked.

Trends

Porcelain continues to be a desired art object. In a slow economy, with a flat market for antiques, it is possible to pick up bargains. In the 2010s, works from transitional periods outside of the most classic eras of Asian and European porcelain making increased in popularity.

Internet commerce has expanded the market for collectible porcelain. Sites such as eBay may offer deals, but come with the disadvantage of the buyer being unable to personally inspect the item. Shipping is also a concern for such fragile objects. Websites specializing in antiques and fine arts, including those run by or affiliated with major auction houses, are an alternative that may provide more reliable condition descriptions and professional shipping guarantees.

Collecting Porcelain for Fun vs. Profit

Collecting porcelain can be an engaging, stimulating hobby through which one may acquire items ranging from contemporary dinnerware to rare Asian antique figures. It can provide not only aesthetic pleasure, but also historical insight and—in some cases—even functional objects. Some people begin to collect usable serving pieces from reputable and established companies that are likely to become the antiques of tomorrow.

Collecting porcelain for profit would involve buying and reselling items, either in a particular location or on the internet. However, due to the nature of the collectibles and luxury items market, selling at a profit is never a given. The more informed a collector is the more likely they will be able to find deals; the more connected they are to marketplaces and fellow collectors, the more likely they will be able to resell at a higher price. The best dealers provide a certificate of authenticity and information on the origin of a porcelain object, which typically requires specialized knowledge and research skills.

Learning More

Books  

Allen, Anthony J. Allen's Antique Chinese Porcelain: The Detection of Fakes. 2nd ed. Allen's Antiques, 2016.

Bagdade, Susan and Al. Warman's English and Continental Pottery and Porcelain. 4th ed. KP Books, 2004.

Gleeson, Janet. Collecting Pottery & Porcelain: The Facts at Your Fingertips. Reed International, 1997.

Loomis, Frank Farmer IV. Antiques 101: A Crash Course in Everything Antique. KP Books, 2005.

Miller, Judith. Antiques Handbook & Price Guide, 2018–2019. Miller's, 2017.

Prisant, Carol. Antiques Roadshow Primer. New York: Workman Publishing, 1999.

Sandon, John. Meissen Porcelain. Shire, 2010.

Van Patten, Joan F. Collector's Encyclopedia of Nippon Porcelain: Identification and Values. 7th edition. Collector Books, 2002.