Qinghua
/ˈtʃɪŋˌhwɑː/noun
A Chinese term for blue-and-white decorative porcelain, especially the cobalt-painted ware produced in China.
Did you know?The blue designs were commonly painted with cobalt pigment beneath a transparent glaze before firing, creating the iconic blue-and-white effect associated with Chinese porcelain.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
青花
“Blue flower; blue floral decoration”
Ming Dynasty, 14th–17th Century
Chinese
青花瓷
“Blue-flower porcelain, referring to cobalt-painted designs under glaze”
17th Century
Dutch
qinghua-related blue-and-white porcelain
“Chinese blue-and-white porcelain imported into Europe”
19th–20th Century
English
Qinghua
“A scholarly romanization used for the Chinese term and its porcelain tradition”
Modern English
English
Qinghua
“A term used in English-language writing for Chinese blue-and-white porcelain”