Sunday, July 19, 2009

Transmutation Porcelain: A Special Chinese Product

By David Cheng

Most kinds of porcelain simply have images painted on them, but there is a special kind of porcelain where no painting is involved. Transmutation porcelain designs are formed out of the glaze itself.

How can such beautiful images be created?

Various metals are mixed into the glaze that is used on transmutation porcelain. These metals will change color at high temperatures, which makes for some very unpredictable results.

In ancient China, some potters even achieved patterns that looked like the faces of their emperors!

Because of the randomness of each design, a single pattern can never be repeated. It all depends on the exact mixture of the elements in the glaze and the temperatures the kiln reaches.

This is why collectors around the world adore transmutation porcelain. When pure chance creates a beautiful piece of art, most people can't resist.

The process of transmutation originated 1,100 years ago in the Song dynasty. According to some historical accounts, the Jingdezhen potter who first discovered this phenomenon was actually frightened because he thought there must be a demon in his kiln. Without hesitation, he smashed his products and threw the pieces away.

Today, people around the world celebrate this interesting discovery, and some pay thousands of dollars for a single piece.

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