本书从文化的视角对中国的陶瓷历史做了全面而清晰的梳理。历史上，陶瓷器在中国人的生活中非常重要，“器以载道”，陶瓷器虽然只是中国人的器用，但它不仅记录了中国人不同历史时期的生活方式、科学技术以及经济发展程度，还体现了不同时期中国人的精神生活方式、审美情趣、价值观等。同时，中国是世界上最早发明瓷器的国家，曾经是世界陶瓷艺术的中心。因此，一部中国陶瓷史又是中国陶瓷艺术不断向世界输出、世界各国不断向中国学习制造陶瓷的历史，书中用不少的篇幅记录了这方面的交流情况。

China is richly endowed with the raw materials needed for making ceramics. Chinese discovered and mastered the techniques of porcelain first. Ceramic products are not only an important cultural heritage of human civilization; they are still very much a part of everyone's lives, and in a very lively andcolorful way. A beautifully crafted and tastefully formed ceramic piece not only is afrUit of the technology and craft of its times, it also records the bits of history and life. Sometimes, it can even carry paintings, poetry, calligraphy, sculpture all on its tiny body; or serve as a medium of information forsociety.

Preface

The Primitive Types of Ceramics

 Primitive Colored Pottery

 Black Earthenware

 White Pottery and Primitive Porcelain

The Terracotta Warriors and Clay Sculptures of the Qin and Han

Millennia Celadon Porcelain

 Yue Wares

 Deqing Wares

 Longquan Wares

 Yaozhou Wares

The Tri-Color Glazed Porcelain

The Age of Porcelain

 The Five Great Kilns

 Blue and White Wares (Qinghua Ci)

 Wucai Porcelain

 Fencai Porcelain

Zisha--the Taste of Tea

Export Ware of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

The Trade of the Artisans

Contemporary Chinese Ceramics

Appendix: Chronological Table of the Chinese

Dynasties