Journal
Notes on Canton porcelain
Identification, history, patterns, and care, tested and written by Simon Iong.
care display
When to Restore Antique Porcelain (and How to Find a Conservator)
Repair, restoration, or leave it alone? When to consult a professional ceramics conservator, why to avoid DIY glue, and how restoration affects value.
Aug 6, 2026
care display
Storing and Protecting a Porcelain Collection
How to store antique Rose Medallion and Chinese porcelain safely: stacking, padding, boxes, climate, handling, and keeping records for insurance.
Aug 5, 2026
care display
How to Display and Hang Antique Plates Safely
Safe ways to display and wall-hang antique Rose Medallion and Chinese porcelain plates: plate stands, hangers, plate rails, and what to avoid.
Aug 4, 2026
patterns motifs
Famille Rose, Verte, Noire, and Jaune: The Chinese Enamel Families
The famille colour families explained (verte, rose, noire, and jaune): how to tell them apart, when each appeared, and where Rose Medallion fits.
Aug 3, 2026
identify value
How Much Is Rose Medallion Worth? A Value Guide
What actually drives the value of Rose Medallion porcelain (painting quality, condition, form, age, and rarity), and how to get a realistic valuation.
Aug 2, 2026
care display
Is Antique Chinese Porcelain Safe to Eat Off? Lead and Everyday Use
Antique overglaze enamels and gilding can contain lead, so antique Chinese porcelain is best treated as decorative. Here's the honest, non-alarmist guidance.
Aug 1, 2026
history origin
The Canton Trade: How Chinese Export Porcelain Reached the West
How Chinese export porcelain was made in Jingdezhen, painted in Canton, and shipped west through the Canton System and the East India and American China trades.
Jul 31, 2026
history origin
Famille Rose Explained: The Pink-Enamel Palette Behind Rose Medallion
Famille rose is the 'pink family' of Chinese overglaze enamels. Here's where the rose-pink comes from, when it appeared, and how it relates to Rose Medallion.
Jul 30, 2026
patterns motifs
Mandarin Porcelain (Rose Mandarin): The Figure-Focused Canton Ware
Mandarin porcelain, or Rose Mandarin, is Canton famille-rose export ware dominated by robed figures. Here's how it differs from Rose Medallion and how to recognize it.
Jul 29, 2026
identify value
Chinese Porcelain Marks: How to Read and Date Them
A practical guide to Chinese porcelain marks (reign marks, why they're often apocryphal, hall and symbol marks, and export country-of-origin marks) and why marks never prove age alone.
Jul 28, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion Garden Stools: A Collector's Guide
The Rose Medallion garden stool form: its barrel shape and pierced motifs, how to check a heavy piece for cracks, value, antique vs reproduction, and custom pairs.
Jul 27, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion Lamps: Antique Porcelain Made into Table Lamps
Most Rose Medallion lamps are antique jars or vases mounted as lamps. Here's how conversion affects value, what to check, and how to commission a lamp base.
Jul 26, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion Vases: A Collector's Guide
Rose Medallion vase forms and sizes, why a drilled base (for lamp conversion) matters, condition and value factors, antique vs reproduction, and custom options.
Jul 25, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion Tea Sets and Teapots: A Collector's Guide
What's in a Rose Medallion tea set, how to check teapots for damage, matched vs assembled sets, value factors, and how to complete or commission a set.
Jul 24, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion Planters and Jardinières: A Collector's Guide
Rose Medallion planters, jardinières, and cachepots: the forms, how to spot age and condition, drainage vs cachepot, what drives value, and custom options.
Jul 23, 2026
commission
Custom Wedding and Anniversary China: Hand-Painted to Order
Commission a custom hand-painted Rose Medallion plate or set for a wedding or anniversary: personalized with a monogram, date, or auspicious motif, made in Macau.
Jul 22, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion Bowls and Punch Bowls: A Collector's Guide
The bowl forms of Rose Medallion, from rice bowls to large punch bowls: what to check for age and condition, what drives value, and how to commission a custom bowl.
Jul 21, 2026
history origin
Antique Chinese Porcelain: A Beginner's Buyer's Guide
A beginner's guide to antique Chinese porcelain: the main types (blue and white, famille rose, Canton export), how to start collecting, and how to avoid fakes.
Jul 20, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion Ginger Jars: A Collector's Guide
What a Rose Medallion ginger jar is, how to judge age, lids, and condition, what drives value, and how to commission a custom hand-painted jar.
Jul 19, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Canton: The All-Floral Cousin of Rose Medallion
Rose Canton is Canton famille-rose porcelain with reserves of only flowers and birds, no figures. Here's how to recognize it and tell it from Rose Medallion.
Jul 18, 2026
commission
Custom Hand-Painted Porcelain Plates: How Commissioning Works
How to commission a custom hand-painted porcelain plate: Rose Medallion reproductions or personalized designs for weddings and gifts, made to order in Macau.
Jul 17, 2026
identify value
Rose Medallion China and Dinnerware Sets: A Collector's Guide
What a Rose Medallion china set includes, how export sets were assembled, what to check when buying, and how to complete or commission a custom matched set.
Jul 16, 2026
patterns motifs
Peony Symbolism in Chinese Porcelain: Flowers, Birds and Figures
The peony commonly symbolizes wealth and honor in Chinese art. Here's what the peonies, butterflies, birds, and figures on Rose Medallion and Chinese porcelain symbolize.
Jul 15, 2026
identify value
Rose Medallion Marks and Markings: How to Read Them
Many Rose Medallion pieces are unmarked or carry an apocryphal reign mark. Here's what the marks on Canton porcelain mean, and why they rarely prove age.
Jul 13, 2026
identify value
Rose Medallion Plates and Platters: A Collector's Guide
What to look for in antique Rose Medallion plates and platters (sizes, painting quality, value, antique vs reproduction), and how to commission a custom one.
Jul 13, 2026
blue and white
Chinese Blue and White Porcelain: A Short Collector's Guide
An introduction to Chinese blue and white porcelain (青花) from Jingdezhen: its history, patterns, and how it relates to Canton famille rose.
Jul 12, 2026
care display
How to Clean and Display Antique Rose Medallion
Safe ways to clean, use, and display antique Canton porcelain without damaging the gilding or enamels.
Jul 12, 2026
identify value
How to Identify Rose Medallion (Antique vs Reproduction)
Learn to tell antique Rose Medallion from later reproductions using the body, enamels, gilding, and wear, not the pattern alone.
Jul 12, 2026
patterns motifs
Rose Medallion vs Rose Canton vs Mandarin: What's the Difference?
Three related Canton famille-rose patterns, one confusing set of names. Here's how Rose Medallion, Rose Canton, and Mandarin differ.
Jul 12, 2026
history origin
What Is Rose Medallion Porcelain? A Beginner's Guide
Rose Medallion is hand-painted Canton export porcelain decorated with panels of figures, birds, and flowers in famille-rose enamels and gold. Here's what defines it.
Jul 12, 2026