EGGSHELL PORCELAIN

also called Tan-p'i Bodiless, or T'o T'ai, Ware, Chinese porcelain whose body is excessively thin under the glaze and often has decoration engraved on it before firing that is visible, like a watermark in paper, only when held to the light; such decoration is called an hua, literally secret language. Eggshell porcelain was a refinement introduced in the Ming dynasty during the reign of the emperor Yung-lo (140224); it reappeared in the reign of the emperor Ch'eng-hua (146487), and later Yung-lo wares were copied under the emperor Wan-li (15721620). The paper-thin porcelain again occurred during the Ch'ing dynasty (16441911/12), especially in the reign of the emperor K'ang-hsi (16611722), in famille verte and famille rose porcelain, chiefly in bowls and plates.