CHEN Yaocheng, ZHANG Fukang, ZHANG Xiaowei

(Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) He JiyingSong Jian Lian Haiping (Shanghai Museum)

Abstract: Chinese earliest proto - porcelain was excavated at the Maqiao site of Shanghai in Xia - Shang period. There are green glazed proto - porcelain and black glazed proto - porcelain at the site. The compostion characteristics of body of Maqiao samples are high in SiO₂ (71. 6 - 75. 8 %) contents and low of Al₂O₃(16.3 -19.1 %) contents. The body compositions are nearly the same as those of proto - porcelain of Zhejiang and Jiangsu Province in Shang - Zhou period The mullite crystalline in the bodies is larger, The glaze of samples is transparent and bright because vitrification of the glaze is higher. Their RO moles are 0.81- 0.895. These glazes belong to calcium glaze.

Keywords: Xia - Shang period, proto - porcelain, production technique