Guangcai Figurative Vase

Guangcai Figurative Vase

　　Guangcai is the abbreviated name for Guangzhou colored porcelain, also known as Guangzhou woven gold-colored porcelain. It is a type of handicraft with strong oriental characteristics, created by painting on various white ceramic wares and then firing them. Most designs are inspired by traditional Chinese brocade patterns and are known for their bright and vivid colors. It is a unique variety of overglaze painted ceramics in China. Guangzhou colored porcelain originated from the Sancai (three-color) ware of the Ming Dynasty in Guangzhou, developed into Wucai (five-color) ware during the Qing Dynasty, and gradually formed its distinctive artistic style during the Qianlong era. It has a history of over 300 years.

Guangcai is renowned for its brilliant colors, rigorous composition, and fine craftsmanship. Artisans weave gold threads onto the pristine white porcelain, resembling golden threads interlaced on gemstones, giving off an impression of elegance and luxury. The white ceramic bodies used to produce Guangcai mainly come from major porcelain-producing regions in Jiangxi, Hunan, and Guangdong. Guangcai features more than 20 colors, including bright red, aqua blue, emerald green, crabapple pink, jet black, and double yellow. A wide range of painting techniques—such as weaving, filling, dyeing, washing, outlining, layering, engraving, and brushing—are employed to draw exquisite floral and pattern designs on the white ceramic bodies, which are then fired at around 800°C in electric kilns to complete the process.

The painting process of Guangcai involves seven steps: outlining, filling colors, weaving gold, filling green, contrasting colors, gilding the rims, and firing the decorated ware. The design patterns of Guangcai include figures, flowers, birds, insects, fish, landscapes, and scenery. Guangcai products are mainly divided into three categories: display art ceramics, daily-use ornamental ceramics, and craft ceramics. There are over 500 varieties and more than 2,000 designs within the craft ceramics category of Guangcai.