Explore: Underglaze

Underglaze is a method of decorating pottery in which painted decoration is applied to the surface before it is covered with a transparent ceramic glaze

lotus scrolls and motifs from Persian silverwork. The use of cobalt as an underglaze color was introduced to China from Iraq, where Abbasid potters had been

and bone china. Spode perfected the technique for transfer printing in underglaze blue on fine earthenware in 1783–1784 – a development that led to the

first fired in a kiln to convert it into a hard porous biscuit or bisque. Underglaze decoration may then be applied, followed by glaze, which is fired so it

white porcelain decorated with cobalt, copper red underglaze, blue underglaze and iron underglaze. Ceramics from the Joseon period differ from other

Pottery, Nara period Meissen porcelain, with blue underglaze decoration on porcelain Mug with blue underglaze decoration on porcelain. Coloured lead glazes

Typically Imari ware (in the English use of the term) is decorated in underglaze blue, with red, gold, black for outlines, and sometimes other colours

white Chinese porcelain in a limited range of colours. It normally uses underglaze cobalt blue for the design outline and some parts of the images, and overglaze

Historically, a relatively narrow range of colours could be achieved with underglaze decoration, where the coloured pattern is applied before glazing, notably

glass, and enamel bottles were painted, either through overglaze and underglaze methods, while bottles made from natural materials were usually carved