Cizhou ware

Cizhou ware is a pottery style from Hebei, China, distinguished by black and brown designs painted against white backgrounds using specialized glazing and slip decoration techniques. The pieces combine functional forms with decorative surface treatments that create varied visual patterns across each vessel.

Production at Cizhou kilns began in the late Tang dynasty and peaked during the Northern Song period from 960 to 1279. Ceramic manufacturing continued into the early Ming dynasty, showing a lengthy tradition of pottery-making in the region.

Cizhou ceramics display regional motifs of flowers, animals, and daily life scenes that reflect northern Chinese artistic preferences of their time. These decorative choices reveal what people valued in their visual surroundings and crafted traditions.

Many Cizhou pieces served as functional household items, including wine vessels, storage containers, and ceramic pillows used for sleeping. These everyday objects show that the pottery combined practical use with visual appeal in daily life.

Potters developed a method to create affordable ceramics by applying white slip to dark clay bodies before adding detailed decorative elements. This economical technique made it possible to produce quality pieces for a wide audience.