Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain collector's help and info page

GLOSSARY

Bone ash

A source of calcium phosphate that can be used as a flux in a ceramic body and as an opacifier in glazes. It could be made from ground calcined bones, usually cattle bones. Western "Bone china" contains 45-50 per cent bone ash. The quality of depth in glazes of the Chinese Song Dynasty has been attributed to phosphorus, which could have come from bone ash.

HOME

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z