Characteristics of Chenghua Blue & White Porcelain

The Chengua Mark

• The definitive indicator of the Chengua era is the imperial mark painted on the bottom of each piece. Collectors' website Gotheborg describes the Chengua mark as "inelegant, thick, often imbalanced and immature." Some defining features of the mark include a vertical third stroke on the character "Cheng," rather than the traditional curved stroke. Gotheborg describes the character "Nian," appearing fifth in the mark, as "unusually squat and square."

Color Schemes

• Chengua porcelain's dominant cobalt blue motifs appear on a white to ivory background. Many pieces also include accents and detailing in muted reds and greens.

Ivory Rings

• Artisans outlined motifs in cobalt blue, then glazed the pieces and fired them at a high temperature. After filling in the outlines with enamel, the crafters then fired the piece a second time, fusing the images and creating the characteristic ivory rings of the Chengua period.

Foot Discoloration

• Due to the high temperature firing techniques employed in the Chengua era, pieces contain discolorations at the base. The shades of discoloration range from ivory to pale red.

Cloudy Appearance

• The multiple firings and glazings involved in creating Chengua porcelain give the pieces a cloudy appearance. Motif outlines are soft and muted.

Delicacy

• Each of the two firings thins the material. As a result, Chengua porcelain is very delicate.

Engravings

• Artisans often engraved patterns in the porcelain before firing. After the complex procedure of creating Chengua pieces these engravings remain, but are only visible when exposing the objects to direct light.