In China, the term qingci "青瓷" (literally meaning blue-green porcelain) is used to designate ceramic objects of gray-green color, with the first character representing blue or blue-green color "青". Various epithets were used to describe this color: "heavenly azure" "天青" (tian qing), "dusty blue" "粉青" (fen qing), or "after the rain passes, the sky becomes blue" - yu guo tian qing "雨過天青", which idiomatically means the arrival of good times after troubles.
The characteristic gray-green color is obtained by adding iron oxide to the glaze. During the chemical reaction in reduction firing (i.e., without oxygen access) of the ceramics, the iron contained in the glaze acquires a blue, gray, or greenish hue. During the Song (宋), Yuan (元), and Ming (明) dynasties, the art of Chinese celadon ceramics...
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15th Century and Earlier Chinese Chinese Export Antique François Eve Furniture