Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain collector's help and info page

GLOSSARY

Lead Glaze

Transparent glassy glaze including lead in their composition to act as a flux - an ingredient to bring down the melting point of the glaze mixture. Common during Han dynasty (tinted by copper to green and sometimes brown) and the basis of the Tang dynasty sancai glaze. Most often applied to earthenwares but also found on stonewares and porcelains. Lead-fluxed glazes are usually transparent and brightly colored. In China the most common colorants used in lead-fluxed glazes are oxides of iron, copper and cobalt. Glazes of this type are also sometimes called "lead fluxed glazes".

See also: Enamels

HOME

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z