Northern China White Porcelain Fired During The Process-related Research

It is well known that China is the initial provenance of the ancient porcelain, moreover, the fine porcelain-making technology in China and its long history of development amazes the world. So, for a long time, the ancient ceramic research, especially Chinese ancient ceramic research, has been one of most focus in archaeometry.The invention & development of White porcelain is a great technological innovation and progress in Chinese history, which not only broke the monopoly of celadon, but also provided a basis for the production of all kinds of colored porcelains. In addition, the transmission of the firing technology of white porcelain greatly influenced the development of porcelain industry in other place of the world. So the origin and development of white porcelain have been one most important research project in china, even in the world.In the first chapter, based on the archeological research and historical literature, the period, place, and the typical kiln where the white porcelains firstly appeared in the north of China, have been introduced and fatherly proved. Moreover, the reason why the white porcelain was not firstly fired successfully in the south of china where the firing technology of celadon have developed fairly matured, but in the north, were discussed from the following aspects: the political factors, the social custom &Relizon, the porcelain material & fuel distributed in the north of China, the development of technology of porcelain making. Finally, the current research situation of the white porcelain was summarized, as well as the research content of the thesis.In the second chapter, the Scientific methods usually employed in the ancient ceramics research were chiefly introduced.In the third chapter, samples from Anyang kiln, lingzhi kiln, and Xing kiln were analyzed, by using Colorimetry, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Stereo & Petrographic Microscopy, Dilatometer and so on. The analysis indicates the potters have attempted to improve the quality of celadon by methods of the finer choosing & manufacturing of porcelains clay, the adoption of the Huazhuangtu (a kind of porcelain clay with high content of alumina and low iron and titanium) and the control of firing temperature, all of which eventually led to the appearance of white porcelains. However, in the different kilns or different times of the same times, potters maybe adopt different methods to improve the quality of white porcelains.In the fourth chapter, different types of clays in the north of China were colleted and analyzed, and then it is proved that body material of ancient white porcelains has experienced the mono-recipe in the beginning, from aspects of the analysis of chemical composition of the clays in the north of china, the simulative firing experiment of the clays, as well as the investigation of its geological mechanisms.In the fifth chapter, a comparative study on the coarse white porcelains of early period of and the fine white porcelains of middle period were carried out, from the chemical composition of body & glaze of the white porcelains , the micro-structure, firing temperature, the kiln tool and so on . the analysis indicate that Al₂O₃ in body of the fine white porcelain were rather higher than that of the coarse white porcelains ,and Fe₂O₃TiO₂ in the finer porcelains were relatively lower, and it is amazed that K₂O in the body of fine white porcelain in the Gong kiln were remarkably higher than that of coarse white porcelain ,which maybe attributed to the accession of the new clay in high content of mineral of mica. In the meantime , content of flux in glaze of the fine white porcelain were commonly lower .which should be acclimatize to the higher firing temperature. A great deal of crystalline could be clearly observed between the glaze and the body, and the existence crystalline played an important role in improving the quality of fine white porcelains. In addition, the appearance and adoption of xiabo (a kind of kiln tool, just like box to contain the porcelain), also was one of the factors that the fine white porcelains appearance.In the sixth chapter, the development experience of ceramic material was firstly summarized, as well as the characteristics & role of ceramic material, and then questions concerning the recipes of body material of white porcelains were discussed and expected, from the chemical composition of body of white porcelains and the porcelains material in the north of china, and the micro-structure of white porcelain body.