Qingbai, shadow blue
Qingbai porcelain is white with a breath of blue, thin enough to let light through.
See what makes it shadow blue
Follow the carved line
Potters carved flowers and waves into the damp body. Glaze pools in the cuts, so the blue shows deepest there.
Hold it to the light
Good qingbai is thin and faintly translucent. Against a window, the pattern seems to float inside the wall.
Check the rim
Some Song bowls were fired upside down, which left the rim bare, and it was often bound in metal.
The blue gathers where the knife has been.
What to look for
Qingbai, shadow blue
Hand-picked pieces are on the way.
Good to know
What is qingbai porcelain?
Qingbai is a Song dynasty porcelain from Jingdezhen with a pale blue-white glaze. It is often carved, and the glaze pools in the lines.
Is qingbai the same as blue and white?
No. Qingbai has no painted blue. Its tint comes from a trace of iron in the glaze, and it came well before blue and white.
Is qingbai good for tea?
Yes. The smooth glaze keeps aroma clean, and the pale wall shows the color of green, white and light oolong teas.
