Candle holder is used to accentuate any piece of furniture and can be used to set the mood. There are various types of candles and holders in the market and some of the more attractive in terms of their display potential include small glass candle holder, ceramic candle holders, glass candle holder, and metal candle holders among others. Vases and candle holders can also be used to set the mood of a particular room. Imagine entering a room lit by candles, rose petals on the floor with blue and white porcelain pieces neatly placed at every corner of the room to highlight a tall centerpiece vase on top of a coffee table made out of amber bamboo. Everything is left to your imagination and creativity just keep in mind safety and security when dealing with vases and candle holders unless the porcelain becomes broken or the candles start a fire. To use porcelain, vases, and candles as decorative items, it is wise to know the different categories of ceramics in order to further your decorative prowess.

• Blue and White ceramics. In most countries, Blue Porcelain is the most commonly known type of ceramics but is often called Blue and White primarily because of the blue cobalt oxide found under the glaze. This type of porcelain was already being exported by China across the Middle East as well as some countries in Southeast Asia long before it gained popularity in Europe. You will see many plates and centerpiece vases for sale that are made of this material. Chinese Blue and white porcelain variants are also known as the finest type of porcelain which is probably why decorative vases as well as centerpiece vases made of this material cost so much. The Blue and white porcelain is likewise interchangeably called the Ming Porcelain perhaps due to its pervasiveness during the Ming dynasty.
• White porcelain. Large scale production of White Chinese porcelain began in the southern kiln during the Song dynasty with Qingbai becoming the most famous of its kind. Decorative candle holders as well as unique quality candle holders were known to be made of this material until the Blue and white porcelain began to dominate Chinese ceramic art. The Yingqing (clear bluish-white) type of porcelain is known for its texture that is comparable to jade. This is attributed to the small amounts of iron found in the material. Molded or incised decorations can be found in square glass vases, hanging candle holders, white porcelain lamps, including abstract vases that are used for home décor.
• Celadon porcelain. This refers to ceramics with a green glaze that originate from Longquan, China. The glaze is the result of clay that mixes with wood ash and iron. It is produced under an oxygen reduced environment to get the desired effect. This method of producing ceramics began in the 7th century and emphasized the craftsmanship of the potters at the time. This type of stoneware featured large Guan vases, two-handled celadon vase, small celadon vase, sculpted vase, and vase with animal masks among others. The motifs that are associated with this type of porcelain include chrysanthemums and lotus flowers which are incised in the product for decoration. The designs of Celadon porcelain closely resemble those of the White porcelain with the more obvious difference being the color of the product.
• Qing Dynasty porcelain. This type of porcelain is commonly imitated by makers of cheap glass tealight holders primarily because this type of porcelain is characterized by its bright colors which deceive the buyer into thinking that it is of lower value. However, plates and vases that are painted meticulously with various scenes serve as a testament to its value and craftsmanship. The under glaze pigments used produced the five-colored material used for landscape, figurative, and floral scenes that characterize this type of porcelain. Its colorful nature made it popular in the West as evidenced by the many multicolored vases and tealight holder on sale. Introduction of fencai enamel widened the range of tones and colors associated with this porcelain.
• Underglaze black. Almost in the same nature as the Celadon porcelain, this type of ceramic was characterized by the use of black iron oxide motifs. This was a time before Blue and white porcelain came into existence. The technique began in the northern provinces of China and was independent of the Celadon products in the south. This type of ceramic gained popularity in some Asian countries due to the chrysanthemum and fish designs that adorned the vases, candle holders, and plates. These symbolized happiness and long life which is why they were preferred. Glass centerpiece vases, glass candle holder, and similar items that have these designs are inspired by the ceramics during this era.
• Tang Dynasty porcelain. Colored stoneware vases are inspired during this era. This type of porcelain is also known as Sancai in reference to its tri-color. The colors are not actually limited to three, although common colors used are white, yellow, and green, which is why it is sometimes called egg and spinach by porcelain dealers. Porcelain vases or ceramic vases as well as novelty candle holders are inspired by the designs during this time. Sometimes porcelain vases and candle holders inspired during this era are common designs used for wedding centerpiece, home decorating, or to preserve precious moments like in ceramic frames and similar items.
• Earthenware. Known as the earliest type of ceramic pottery, it makes use of secondary clay and pottery wheel. Fired in open pits it helped inspire decorative ideas for antique vases, porcelain lamps, and other staple pieces of unique quality. These types of Chinese vases were believed to be produced in limited quantity and never exported. This is also the reason why most of the pieces under this category are found with collectors and antique dealers. The limited number of designs and pieces makes them rare and relatively expensive.

Whether used for home décor, wedding centerpieces, or simply highlight the room, porcelain vases and candles can be hard-paste, soft-paste, or bone China. If you are interested in using these fine materials you must educate yourself in the use of the thermo luminescence test which is the most commonly used test to roughly estimate the last firing date of the porcelain piece. This will ensure that you are getting only the best kind of porcelain. Knowing the various categories will improve your artistic and interior design capabilities to allow you to accurately match room accents.

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Today, porcelain dinnerware is one of the most popular items in dining rooms for the elegance and beauty it gives to dining tables. They are used in hotels and restaurants and even in houses of those who have exquisite taste for top of the line quality products. Esteemed for the materials used on tableware porcelain, this product can last a long time. This is the reason why some see it as a practical choice as gift for their friends.

Manufacturers of this product ensure their buyers that they use only the latest equipments and technology. They are very meticulous with the process especially since porcelain is the main material used. They offer their buyers tableware such as plate, cups and bowls. These items are used on a regular basis which is why manufacturers make sure that the products are durable and can withstand everyday use for a long time.

Aside from the durability of the products and items, manufacturers are constantly making their tableware pieces in varying designs and types. These pieces may come in different colors. There are those that are as subtle as creamy white and as extreme as those with shades of red. Some also add details and patterns on the borders of tableware pieces.

There are a lot of manufacturers of tableware porcelain. Although this calls for stiff competition, the fact is that tableware pieces are becoming standardized. Manufacturers need to come up with new technologies as well as designs to have a competitive edge over other suppliers.

For those who want to add flat plates, soup plates, salad bowls, cups, coffee set, dinner set to their collection of china, they can purchase these items online or through retailers and suppliers of tableware pieces. While most of the manufacturers of ceramic tableware are operating in China, these products are exported to different countries in Europe as well as the United States. Furthermore, there are also ceramic tableware manufacturers operating in the United States. The production of porcelain items is no longer limited to the Chinese.

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The figurines showed inspirational messages, carried by children. Since Butcher is a born-again Christian, the messages carry a certain Christian theme to them. The children are characterized by their teardrop-shaped eyes which bring a certain feeling of warmth to collectors. Although the brand now offers different giftware and items, they still carry the trademark artwork of Sam Butcher.

The Precious Moments porcelain figurine started off when Enesco Corporation’s chairman Gene Freedman asked Sam Butcher to have his drawings and designs come out in figurines. At that time, Butcher was creating artworks for stationery, letters and cards which he sold at flea markets and Christian gift shows. He later agreed to Freedman’s proposal. They hired Yasuhei Fujioka, a master sculptor in Nagoya, Japan. A few years later, the first set of Precious Moments porcelain figurines kicked off.

Now the Precious Moments have gone beyond figurines. They offer apparel, dolls, giftware, jewelry and ornaments. Probably the most popular item they have is the Precious Moments Porcelain Dolls and Ornaments.

The Precious Moments Porcelain Doll can be used both in decorative purposes and as giftware for special occasions. This collectible item’s popularity is mainly attributed to the joy that it brings to those who receive precious moments as gifts. The sweet message that comes with the doll can light up any person’s day. There are many styles and designs to choose from which makes the brand perfect for babies, little girls, mothers and grandmothers.

There are designs for just about any occasion such as anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, graduations, Mother’s day, Thanksgiving Day, Valentine’s Day and weddings. The price of these dolls can range from around 15 dollars to 125 dollars.

Apart from the dolls, the Precious Moments Porcelain Cross is also a knock out among collectors. Items such as these are unique in that it can preserve the happiness and solemnity that comes with events such as christening, baptism and communion. There are many designs (that come with simple and heartfelt messages) to choose from. The Precious Moments Porcelain Cross gives out the perfect message and feel to any solemn occasion.

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The making of porcelain treasures evolved from pottery making. Technically speaking, there are three requirements in the procedure of making porcelain. First of all, porcelain should be made of Kaolin. It should be created under firing temperature of over 1250 degrees Celsius. And lastly, the item should have a smooth finish and baked under high temperature.

Porcelain were believed to have been first produced during the Shang Dynasty in the sixteenth century BC. In those times, the techniques of creating the piece were of crude and primitive ways. The method evolved during the Han and Tang Dynasty when northern Chinese transferred to the south where they found a place that seemed favourable to the production of porcelain.

The Song Dynasty might as well have been dubbed as the porcelain era of China. It was during this time that China’s production of porcelain increased overwhelmingly with all the kilns during those times, the Ding Kiln, Ru Kiln, Guan Kiln, Ge Kiln and Jun Kiln. The technology for manufacturing porcelain items moved forward in the Ming and Qing Dynasties with the birth of enamel porcelain.

The Ding Kiln created porcelain objects of bottles, bowls and trays that have decorations of flowers such as lotus flower, lily and peony. The Ru Kiln, on the other hand, was where porcelain objects for palaces were made. The objects were varnished in colors of moon white, light pink, blue and sky blue. The Guan Kiln made pots, bowls, trays and bottles. These items were made with blue glaze.

The Ge Kiln also made items such as trays, bowls and bottles, but these items were mainly of colors brown, light grey, dark grey and black. Lastly, the Jun Kiln, porcelain objects made in this kiln were depicted by their different colors such as pure moon white, pure sky blue, purple spotted and red blue.

Today, China is still considered as the leading manufacturer of quality porcelain treasures. There are many cities in the country that produce porcelain objects. Among the most famous are the following cities, Zibo City of Shandong Province, Handan and Tangshan of Hebei Province, Yixing of Jiangsu Province, Fengxi and Shiwan of Guandong Province, Liling of Hunan Province, Jingdezhen of Jiangxi Province.

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The production of porcelain goes way back to the Shang Dynasty in sixteenth century BC. However, it wasn’t until the Song Dynasty when large scale production of porcelain was ordered by the emperor. They began to fill their royal palaces with decorations and ornamentations made of porcelain. The product was eventually exported to Europe in the seventeenth century. Only the extremely wealthy could afford porcelain in those days because exporting the product from China proved to be very expensive.

Porcelain, which is mainly composed of kaolin and petuntse, is made under extreme temperature of 1250 to 1450 degrees Celsius. Because porcelain in those times was very expensive, countries wanted to duplicate the product. It was then that the procedure for manufacturing porcelain began to spread to other places. However, those products turned out to be of lesser quality than those made in China.

Today, porcelain is used in other areas other than ornamentation purposes such as in electronics and science. However, it remains a fact that porcelain is mainly used in
decorations that one can find many vases and figurines made of porcelain. There are those that are designed after dolls, angels and even animals. Collectors of porcelain can buy vases and figurines in shops, or through online market such as ebay.

With porcelain, there are many forms of items to collect. One such type of collection is the porcelain owls. Collectors can browse through the internet for this type of item online. They can buy one at a low price or get discounts on ebay. Although most of these items are second hand, buyers can be assured that the item is still in good shape.

Collectors can find porcelain owls in figurines and in bead form. These may come in different sizes and colors. There are those that come in life size and those that come in very small sizes. There are those in white tones and those in brown and creamy tones.

The prices for these figurines can range from as low as a dollar to as high as a thousand dollars. The price depends on how well the figurine or the bead was crafted.

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The names Dresden, Meissen and volkstedt can be used interchangeably for the type of porcelain made in southeastern Germany’s Saxony region but each have their own marks on the bases. The Dresden factories had a blue crown base mark; the Meissen factories had two blue crossed swords.

Meissen is still in operation at present and identification services for genuine Meissen pieces. One of the distinguishing volkstedt porcelain marks is the cobalt blue mark which is always glazed over.

The factories manufactured porcelain pieces such as vases, dinnerware, boxes, basins, candlesticks, figurines and jasperware. In the mid-19th century, these volkstedt factories started manufacturing the renowned lace figurines, likewise known as the Dresden Lace. The fine lace design was achieved when real lace was immersed in soft porcelain paste and baked in a kiln. The cotton lace burned away to leave a delicate porcelain lace which, though fragile, can last for a very long time given the right amount of care.

These Dresden-styled volkstedt porcelain figurines oftentimes depict men and women of aristocracy involved in activities of the nobility such as reading, dancing, playing musical instruments and courtship. Other figurines depict simpler themes such as birds, animals and dock scenes.

One of these porcelain factories was operated by Anton Müller. His lace figurines quickly gained popularity. The Müller pieces can be distinguished by his volkstedt porcelain marks – a crown above the initials “MV” (Müller-Volkstedt). Müller’s business developed and was soon exporting around the world, along with some of the older factories which have continued to this day.

Müller-Volkstedt faced more hardships in the 20th century than the earlier factories. Their porcelain factory was totally demolished as a result of Allied carpet bombing raids during World War II. Anton Müller died at this time and it was Johanna Saar, Müller’s niece, who was able to save some of the first original molds and rebuilt her uncle’s factory after the war.

The Saars then moved the family operation to Limerick, Ireland where their factory known as ‘Irish Dresden” continues to manufacture stunning porcelain pieces today.

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Through a natural genetic process, a yellow orange variety of carp (later to be termed goldfish) was produced during the Tang Dynasty. People switched to breeding the beautiful gold mutation instead of the original silver variety and kept them in ponds and man-made fish enclosures. When guests are expected to arrive on special occasions, these golden carps would be transferred to smaller containers for the purpose of display. These small display containers were later to be known as the chinese porcelain fish bowls.

Later, in 1162, the Song Dynasty Empress ordered ponds to be built to breed the gold and red variety. At the same time, she also forbade anyone outside of the Imperial family to raise goldfish of the yellow or gold variety. This explains why there are more orange goldfish than yellow goldfish today.

This also explains how Chinese fish bowls came into existence. In today’s terms, these ancient fish bowls would be our modern-day aquariums.

Today, you will find a high volume of fish bowls made out vitreous porcelain being produced at high temperature in kilns located in mainland China’s Jiangxi province. These luxuriously hand-painted fish bowls are designed after the Ming Dynasty period and each bowl can be considered as a work of art.

Exquisitely painted by hand, the large porcelain fish bowl will make an eye-catching addition to a decor scheme of any room or office. It can be used as an indoor and outdoor planter or as a great room accent in both casual and formal interiors. The interiors are painted with remarkable colors and designs and, if you are lucky enough, you may even find a Koi fish painted inside. Some fish bowls can be a part of modern eclectic decor and makes an unforgettable gift idea.

As a room accent, fish bowls provide an air of oriental mystique and luxury to an otherwise dull area of a room. The traditional color design features deeply intense shades of black, lavender, gold and a mixture of earth tones.

As a functional display, it is made of hard vitreous china which can hold indoor trees and large plants. It can even be converted into a coffee or end table by adding a thick glass top.

Many companies import excellent quality and artistically hand lacquered chinese porcelain fish bowls and offer them at very competitive prices.

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As with many things porcelain, porcelain lamps have a certain elegant and exquisite quality in them that are not seen in other materials. The translucent white in porcelain helps give off a soft glow so desired in a night light. Thus, porcelain lamp shades, notwithstanding the weight compared to linen ones, are perfect materials for lamps.

Porcelain was first discovered and produced in ancient China. The technology then was leaked to neighboring countries Korea and Japan. These oriental countries then flooded their areas with various porcelain pieces from the mundane to the remarkable ones.

Porcelain pieces are so beautiful such that it became popular even outside the orient. Both China and Japan began exporting pieces to Europe in the 17th century. The Europeans, charmed by the beauty of porcelain and the promise it brings in term of business, embarked on experiments in order to recreate the Chinese and Japanese pieces.

The first successful one was by Bottger in Germany. He was able to produce the hard paste ceramic. Germany then had the distinction of being the first European country to produce porcelain domestically, and is in fact now a leader in porcelain production in the continent.

Soon, most countries in Europe have their own porcelain production facilities. The French and English masterpieces are particularly remarkable. Yet, the oriental pieces from the Far East still command higher prices and larger demand. Thus, while Europe produced for domestic demand, exports from the orient still come to the frigid shores regularly.

Today, modern day Europe is till agog with ceramics. Functional items and decorative pieces of porcelain still adorn many homes, offices and receiving areas. The porcelain lamps are examples of the many things functional that are made of ceramics. The porcelain lamp sockets do not only give off the elegant sheen known in ceramics.

They also act as good insulating materials for the electric device. This goes to show that despite the ancient and oriental roots of ceramics, it can be fused usefully and beautifully with modern technology

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And Chinese jars are not just famous antiquated pieces. Even those that are produced to date are prized for their being truly made in the homeland of porcelain. In fact china has become synonymous with porcelain. Do you know that porcelain from Japan is known as Nippon china, and those that are from Germany are called Bavarian china? Germany has the distinction of being the first European country to produce porcelain and Japan has the biggest porcelain export to date.

Among the popular Chinese jars, the blue and white porcelain jars are the most coveted. In Chinese, they are called Qinghua to mean blue green decoration. These pieces are pure white porcelain decorated with cobalt (which produces the blue color on the glaze) and then covered with a clear colorless glaze afterwards.

The Chinese technique in using cobalt to produce the blue and white porcelain jars is distinct from those that are used in other country. In China, the decoration is applied directly on the unfired clay body of the pieces and then fired in the kiln. In other countries, the pieces are fist hardened in a kiln and then applied with decoration. The Chinese technique is said to be superior compared to those used in other countries.

The blue and white porcelain jars first became famous during the Mongolian Yuan dynasty (1279 – 1368). The technique is made perfect in the ensuing dynasties with the work during the Qing Dynasty (1662-1722) as the ones of the finest technical workmanship.

By then, china had been importing materials to produce what is known as Mohameddan blue, a deep hue that shines in contrast to the white porcelain canvass. While porcelain pieces are still produced using other techniques and colors, the blue and white pieces easily became the most popular. By the 17th century, Chinese blue and white porcelain jars were already exported to Europe.

Today blue and white porcelain jars, plates and other wares are famous china pieces. They are seen in every porcelain collection and are usually the centerpiece.

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Lady head vases did not come until the early 1940s. So those that are produced in the 40s and 50s are now considered vintage. And these heads really held flowers when they were sold, bought and used in those years. And that was how they ended up in many homes. Today, vases with realistic figures may be considered vulgar to the modern tastes and they gave way to the geometric designs that are now popular. Thus, the porcelain girl no longer is just a vase but a piece for head hunters nowadays.

It is not hard to find lady head vases today. Online auction and local shops have a long line of collection at just 50 dollars or less. Some outstanding pieces may sell of a few hundreds but rarely more. If you are keen on head hunting, here are some interesting pieces that you should look for.

Glamour Girl. With shapely brows, thick black lashes, impeccable accessory, distinctive hair-do and a nice pout, she’s the perfect depiction of the mid 20th century style.
The glamour girl of the 40’s is not only captured in calendars and movie magazines. They are so in fine porcelain as lady head vases. Some of these pieces have the imprints “glamour girl” in them instead of the ubiquitous “made in the USA”. If you search through your grandmother’s attic, there is a fair chance that you can get one as they are very popular from the 40’s through the 60’s.

Celebrities. More popular than the glamour girl collection are the heads that depict famous and beautiful celebrities then. Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Kennedy and Lucille Ball have their likeness immortalized in porcelain. Produced late than the original ceramic heads, these pieces have more realistic features in nicer tones. Some even have fancy hats, pearl necklaces and earrings, and shapely hands that are well manicured. A Marilyn Monroe vase may be auctioned for not less that 600 dollars, while a Jacky O. vase may have a price tag of 300 dollars.

Outside the US, the Japanese makers are popular producers of head vases. Not to be missed is the geisha girl with its white painted face, red lips, elaborate kimono and the umbrella. They may be older than the vintage US collection and fetches a fairly higher price.

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