From baking to steaming to cooking in oil, the Chinese way of eating has evolved, and the porcelain that partnered with it has developed, eventually forming the unique Chinese porcelain and Chinese food culture.
Today we will start with the most common bowls and see what kind of bowls the ancients used to eat in.
Neolithic period (8000-4000 BC)
During the Neolithic period, with the production of pottery and the rise of the pottery industry, the ancestors moved from primitive raw food to cooked food. This was a remarkable event in the history of Chinese food culture. The earliest rice was cooked in a pottery kettle with water, which was then still in the form of porridge; later on, there was a 'retort' that could be heated in water, which led to steaming and the emergence of dry rice.
Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600-221 BC)
Porcelain played an important role in food culture, with primitive celadon first appearing from the mid-Shang dynasty onwards. Celadon was not only restricted to the upper classes, but the common people could also use it for pleasure: the restrictions on the use of ceramics were relatively broad, and bowls became a staple of everyday food life, with the earliest porcelain bowls in China, their basic shape being a large mouth with a deep belly and flat bottom, simple and practical, basically without ornamentation, used from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
Han Dynasty (202 BC –220 AD)
The Han dynasty was a period of great development for the ancient lacquer craft in China, and lacquer tableware became trendy tableware sought after by the nobility because it was far more durable, lightweight and beautiful than bronze and earthenware products.
Tang Dynasty (618-907)
During the Tang and Song dynasties, due to the continuous development of porcelain technology, coupled with the fact that copper was mainly used to make money, copper manufacturing was restricted, so the general daily necessities were mostly replaced by ceramics, and porcelain gradually occupied the chief position in the tableware world.
White porcelain and painted porcelain tableware based on white porcelain emerged during the Tang Dynasty. The porcelain bowls of the Tang dynasty are more varied, with petal mouths and rolled rims, and are finely crafted and beautifully shaped, with simple scratched decoration on them.
Song Dynasty (960-1279)
In the Song dynasty, due to the expansion of the porcelain production scale, the level of technology improved significantly, making the Song porcelain tableware in the process of modelling, glaze, decoration and other aspects a peak of ancient Chinese ceramic production.
Shapes of Song dynasty bowls are richer, with bucket style, straw hat style, etc., glaze colour is mostly monochrome, such as shadow blue, black, sauce, white, etc., and the decoration is mostly baby play, animals, plants, etc., the style is elegant, exquisite.
Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)
Underglaze porcelain, represented by painted blue and white porcelain and underglaze red, became the newest of the Yuan dynasty. Yuan dynasty porcelain was exported in large quantities, both in a distinctly Chinese style and with characteristics of West Asian culture.
During this period, blue and white porcelain bowls, representative of Chinese tableware, began to appear. The elegant and atmospheric blue and white porcelain bowl became the mainstream of Chinese porcelain tableware production, and its influence continues to this day.
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
The most common type of porcelain used during the Ming dynasty was a light-bodied, white-on-white, blue-and-white bowl for eating and drinking. Blue and white porcelain was the mainstream of Chinese porcelain production during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The outer wall of the bowl is decorated with petal motifs typical of the style of the Ming Yongle and Xuande periods.
Qing Dynasty (1636-1912)
Bowls of the Qing dynasty in all aspects are better than the previous dynasty, shape, glaze, decoration more rich and diverse, and craft production more delicate. and delicate, painted enamel, vegetal three colours, pastel decorated bowls of the palace royal with more people breathtaking.
The Qing Palace Office created enamelled bowls with a central western flavour. The artisans successfully transferred the technique of enamelling on copper to porcelain, creating a new variety of porcelain - enamelling on porcelain.
Discover bowls on jamesf kitchenware at a great price. Our Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets category offers a great selection of Bowls and more. Please feel free to contact us at 86-662-3382444.
