Beginner’s Guide to Identifying Chinese Export Porcelain

By Walter O’Neill, AntiquesArena.com
With nearly 30 years of experience in antiques and over 6,000 items for sale on AntiquesArena.com, I’ve created this guide to help beginners identify genuine Chinese export porcelain. Whether you’re browsing antique fairs, car boot sales, or just want to understand the pieces you already own, this guide will give you simple, real-world advice backed by visual examples and tips.

What Is Chinese Export Porcelain?

for the purpose of this article, Chinese export porcelain refers to porcelain objects made in China specifically for export to Europe and other markets from the late 17th century and continued through the 18th, 19th, and into the 20th century. These pieces were often designed to appeal to Western tastes and were frequently based on European silverware forms.

Marks on Chinese Porcelain

• Most export porcelain is unmarked.
• If a piece is marked, don’t use it to date the item on its own — many marks were copied from earlier periods.
• You may find:
  • Reign marks (2, 4, or 6 character marks)
  • Shop marks or symbols like rabbits, leaves, or flowers
  • Motifs or stylized characters
• Even items marked “China” (from ~1890) or “Made in China” (from ~1910) can still be antique.

Tip: Use marks only as one of many clues, not a final verdict.

If you want to know how to read a Chinese reign mark please refer to my video below.

Foot Rims and Backs: A Key Indicator

One of the best ways to identify Chinese export porcelain is by examining the foot rim and the back:

• Chinese porcelain foot rims are typically unglazed with a gritty, dry texture. The color may range from skin-tone to white.
• Larger platters may have entirely unglazed backs.
• In contrast, English pottery (like Willow Pattern plates) usually has a fully glazed back and foot rim.
• Early Qing export pieces (Kangxi and Yongzheng) often have painted decoration on the back, while Qianlong pieces are typically plain on the reverse.

Compare Chinese and English examples side by side to spot these differences.

Is It Hand Painted?

Authentic Chinese porcelain should be hand-painted, especially export wares from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Signs of Hand Painting:

• Heap and piling: Look for areas where the brush pooled, creating darker spots where the stroke begins.
• Use a jeweler’s loupe to inspect for:
  • Visible brush strokes
  • Irregular lines
  • No tiny dots (dots suggest transfer printing)
• Transfer prints often don’t match perfectly where the ends meet.

For a visual demo, watch my linked video comparing hand painting and transfer ware.

I have linked a video below to my youtube channel where i show you how to identify a transfer printed design.

Below are some images of heap and pilling, look for the dark spots in the painting around the edges where the brush stroke began or went over another stroke.

Porcelain Weight and Fineness

• 18th and 19th century export porcelain is usually thin, fine, and light, but still strong.
• Modern reproductions tend to be thick, heavy, and clumsy.
• Once you’ve handled both, the difference in quality and feel becomes obvious.

Understanding Enamel Colors and Shading

• Famille Rose enamel was developed around 1710 during the Kangxi period.
  • If you see a Famille Rose piece claiming to be Ming — it’s not!
• Shading in antique porcelain is built up in layers, with light and dark tones.
• Modern pieces often have flat, solid blocks of color with no depth.

Common Kiln Flaws (That Are Good Signs!)

Don’t be alarmed by imperfections — they often confirm authenticity.

• Kiln grit: Specks of sand stuck to the base or rim
• Iron spotting: Tiny reddish-orange spots in the glaze
• Iron oxide line: An orange line at the glaze edge where it ends

Spur Marks: Japanese vs. Chinese

• Chinese porcelain almost never has spur marks.
• Spur marks (small triangular dots from kiln supports) are typical of Japanese porcelain, especially Imari ware.

If you see spur marks, the piece is likely Japanese, not Chinese.

Silver Shapes in Porcelain

• Many Chinese export pieces are based on European silverware forms.
• For example, helmet jugs and Georgian vase forms were replicated in porcelain.
• If you know Georgian silver shapes, you can often spot the porcelain versions more easily.

Learn Without Breaking the Bank

The market is full of fakes — here’s how to build your knowledge smartly:

1. Visit auctions and antique fairs. Handling real items is free education.
2. Talk to dealers. Ask why they believe a piece is genuine.
3. Buy broken items for pennies. Great for studying glaze, painting, body.
4. Buy modern pieces to train your eye — the real ones will stand out immediately.
5. Read as much as possible. Invest in books before buying expensive pieces.

Book Recommendations

If you’re going to spend money, spend it on education first. Here are some books I personally use and recommend:

• “Marks on Chinese Ceramics” by Gerald Davison – The ultimate book on Chinese porcelain marks. New editions are affordable.
• “Chinese Export Porcelain” – A great beginner’s book with side-by-side comparisons and timelines.
• “Dating Chinese Porcelain” by Tommy Eklöf – Focuses on facial features and decoration styles to help date pieces.
• “Nanking Cargo” – For collectors of shipwreck porcelain.
• Books on Straits Chinese (Peranakan) porcelain – Highly collectible and high value.
• “Famille Verte” and “Chinese Ceramics: A New Standard Guide” – Deep dives into specific styles and periods.
• Symbolism and motif books – Great for decoding hidden meanings in patterns and decorations.

You’ll find ISBNs and links in the description of the video or within this article.

Final Thoughts

This guide is based on decades of hands-on experience and thousands of hours studying and handling Chinese porcelain. If you follow the tips here — and keep learning — you’ll quickly develop the confidence to tell a real piece from a fake.

Remember: books, handling experience, and time are your best teachers. I hope this guide helps you take that next step.

Feel free to explore AntiquesArena.com for more articles, or check out my YouTube channel for detailed videos on related topics.

Happy collecting!

— Walter

This article was first produced as a video. should you wish to watch it the link is below.