Wonderful ceramic glazes at traditional Bat Trang village in vietnam

What is ceramic glazes?

Blue enamel – the earliest ceramic glaze appeared

This is the earliest type that appeared in Bat Trang pottery village around the 14th century. Enamel is fired at a high temperature from 1200 to 1300 degrees Celsius. The main raw materials of this glaze are kaolin, felspat, … along with a few other stones that have been finely ground by ceramic artists about 70 to 80 hours. Artists will paint on the surface of the product to decorate. Blue enamel appears mainly on teapots, dishes, incense burners, lampstands…

Blue enamel set teapot

Pearl white enamel – the most popular and widely used glaze

This is the most popular and widely glaze is used in Bat Trang. To produce this type of glaze, ceramic artisans have to boil it at a high temperature (1200-1300 degrees Celsius), so the glaze surface is smooth and glossy, especially safe for users in storing food. That’s also the reason we often see dishes with white enamel.

White enamel tableware painted black lotus

Reef enamel – “specialty” of Bat Trang ceramics

Appeared around the end of the 16th century, and is a symbol of the famous glaze technique of Bat Trang pottery village. As a very special type of enamel, it is formed based on the expansion difference of bone and ceramic glaze. Reef enamel is often coated on the surface of incense burners, jars, lime pots, etc.

Reef enamel vase

Brown glaze – ceramic glaze with a grainy surface

Brown enamel brings a touch of nostalgia and folklore; Although not as small as white enamel, brown enamel possesses a characteristic lumpy layer on the surface of the product. This enamel blends perfectly with wooden interiors or styles associated with the countryside or nature.

Brown glaze teapot

Moss green enamel – appearing at the same time as blue enamel

Also appeared in the 14th century, and also has materials similar to blue glaze, but this glaze uses different colored stones to be able to create its characteristic moss green color. This type of enamel is mainly used to decorate the product’s textures such as painting clouds, etc.

Moss green vase

Fire glaze

It is an enamel produced by the chemical interaction between iron oxides and titanium along with heat. As the quintessence of the art of temperature adjustment when firing, each product has a different color (although they are similar, but they are not 100% the same), and the color on the product is the color of the enamel, not the color mixed like other enamel. In a word, fire glaze will produce unique and unique products, no two products are the same.

Fire glaze vase