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

GLOSSARY

Underglaze decoration

Decoration painted on the body of a ceramic ware before glazing after which it becomes covered by glaze. The most common colors used on pottery and porcelain are metallic oxides of iron, cobalt (qinghua) and copper. The so far earliest known examples of underglaze decoration on Chinese ceramics occur on Celadon wares discovered in 3rd-century tombs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

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