Stoneware and proto-porcelain
Gres vidriado y protoporcelana
- Date
- c. 1600 BCE · confidence medium
- Place
- Zhengzhou and Anyang (Shang), Henan, China
- Credited to
- Shang potters
- Field
- Matter & energy
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
Kaolinitic clay ceramic fired above 1,200°C in cross-draught kilns, with a wood-ash glaze. It is the first vitrified pottery and a direct precursor of Chinese porcelain.
The oldest glazed proto-porcelain is dated to Erligang (c. 1600-1400 BCE); some authors place it later, in the Western Zhou.
What it led to
- High-temperature kilns that also served Chinese bronze and cast-iron metallurgy
- A ceramic tradition culminating in Tang and Song dynasty porcelain, China's chief export for centuries
- Waterproof, durable vessels for storing and transporting liquids
Built on
- Bellowsc. 3000 BCE
- Longshan eggshell pottery
- Climbing kiln
Made possible
- Inlaid celadon (sanggam)c. 1150
- Porcelain
- Chinese cast iron (high-temperature kilns)