Guangcai (The Canton Famille Rose Porcelain)
Making Technique 

Guangcai is the shortened form of "Guangzhou painted porcelain" or "Canton Famille Rose Porcelain". It is a technique of overglaze decoration that involves painting patterns on white porcelain before firing at a low temperature. The Guangcai Making Technique dates back to the early Qing dynasty. Guangzhou was a port for exporting porcelain. Merchants sourced white porcelains from Jingdezhen and painters in Guangzhou added customised patterns according to client requirements. By the end of the Qing dynasty, the style of Guangcai featuring a wide variety of specific patterns, vibrant colours and rich compositions was formed. During the 1920s, Guangcai was transmitted from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Apart from conserving the traditional hand-painting technique and the style of painting auspicious patterns, the techniques of stamping patterns and applying decals were also adopted. Local painting techniques and special patterns were also added to create a fusion style with both Chinese and Western characteristics. As a result, Guangcai produced in Hong Kong (Xianggang in pinyin) is also known as Gangcai (Hong Kong painted porcelain).

 

 

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