| There are two major groups that make up Chinese | | | | India, and Japan. These items rarely have base marks |
| Porcelain: | | | | to identify them. The Export china made for South |
| Chinese market porcelain, and Chinese export | | | | East Asia on the other hand often carry base marks. |
| porcelain. | | | | The easiest way to distinguish which region a piece is |
| Chinese Taste: This generally refers to all porcelain | | | | from is to compare it to textiles from a specific |
| made chiefly for the Asian market. The pieces usually | | | | region. The fashion is typically reflected in both and |
| carry a base mark that can be used to distinguish | | | | its easy to see the similarities especially when you |
| them from the export porcelain. If the piece is | | | | consider the intended use of the item. |
| antique and carries a mark at all it is very likely that it | | | | When it comes to collecting antiques there is always |
| is either Imperial porcelain or Ordinary porcelain. | | | | the possibility of purchasing a fake but luckily export |
| (Imperial being made for specifically for the Emperor | | | | pieces from the last two centuries are easily found. |
| and household and Ordinary being mostly bowls | | | | The only pieces to practice caution with are |
| connected to the Asian way of life.) Although price | | | | extraordinarily expensive pieces such as figure (which |
| and value of Imperial ware can vary drastically | | | | are difficult to date) and some late 18thcentury |
| depending on quality and age, Ordinary ware has a | | | | armorial pieces, which have been copied both at |
| very narrow price range (from $25 to $250). | | | | Samson in France and during the 20thcentury in China |
| Chinese Export: Export porcelain is made specifically | | | | and Hong Kong. |
| for use outside of China for either Europe, the US, | | | | |