Prices are given when the thumbnail view is clicked for the larger image. Perhaps the most significant development in the history of ceramic art was the production of porcelain in ancient China . This product did not evolve suddenly but was a gradual refinement of stoneware over several centuries.
Porcelain is characterized by a translucent and vitrified quality and fired to a high temperature.
In the ensuing centuries porcelain production spread very slowly to the rest of the world and several factors may have been responsible for this, the primary being the high firing temperatures required. These temperatures require the use of special kilns and raw materials. Our porcelain clay body , engobes and glazes are specifically formulated to enable the construction and firing of unique pieces while maintaining the integrity of high-fired porcelain, such as is exemplified by a hard nonporous ware. The glaze is composed largely of the same materials as the clay body and is fired at over 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus ensuring a degree of physical and chemical equilibrium noticeable in the depth of the glaze and assuring a quality product by minimizing strains and lessening the occurrence of crazing and shivering .