XIAO Xuan, LI Ling, SHEN Haiyun, YU Bin

(Graduate school of Ceramic Aesthetics, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen Jiangxi 333403, China)

Abstract:This paper uses the method of semiotics to analyze the decorative colors on Chinese ceramics as symbols, especially their connotations and semantic sources. It's concluded that the colors on Chinese ceramics, whether they are those of the clays, or of the glazes, or of the enamels, are idiographic symbols. Restricted by multiple factors, such as the social system, the function of ceramics, the economy and the technology, their connotative and denotative meanings are specific to the time and region, depending on the religious beliefs, cultural traditions and the aesthetic tastes.

Key words:ceramics; color; semiotics