View all examples of PORCELAIN, CANTON

PORCELAIN, CANTON front view
Type Name: PORCELAIN, CANTON
Type Index: PORCELAIN
Production Origin: CHINA
Date Range: 1790-1835
Defining Attributes:

White, or greyish white, glass-like vitreous paste that is slightly thicker than other porcelain types.

Glaze is poorer in quality, having a slight "oatmeal" texture to the surface and occasional pinholes.

The background color is grayish white, and designs are executed in broad brush strokes using a range of blues from watery gray-blue to cobalt.

Design execution is simple, using bold brush strokes and various shades of blue ranging from watery grayish-blue to cobalt.

Motifs in the central medallion are Chinese garden or village scenes, including a pagoda, bridge and boats. Rim decoration on Canton Ware is of crude blue lattice network with an inner border of wavy or scalloped lines.

Vessel Forms: BOWL
PLATE
PLATTER
Comments: "Canton" ware was mass-produced at Canton after the American Revolution, as an export ware to America. It is sometimes referred to as "Ballast ware" for the low cost and huge amounts shipped (sometimes as ballast) of this porcelain. "Nanking" ware is a more refined and higher quality export ware of the same period. It is distinguished from Canton Ware by it’s finer design execution, consistently cobalt blue paint, and its rim design, which consists of a geometric, diapered lattice rim decoration with occasionally detailed with overglaze gold.
Published Definitions: Mudge 1986; Noel Hume 1969

View all examples of PORCELAIN, CANTON