Antique vase with a lid on the subject of "Flowers and Birds", made with blue paints on a white background. Porcelain, painting, glaze. China, 20th century.

Originally invented in China, blue and white ceramics quickly became widespread, it was copied and recreated by craftsmen all over the world. Its history began with a grayish mass for making products and was improved with a clay recipe when kaolin was added to it and the firing technology was updated. This was done by potters from Jindezhen in Jiangxi Province. The products began to have a more saturated blue hue, thanks to cobalt pigment from Yunnan Province or imported from the Middle East. Jindezhen products are considered the highest quality: various decorative techniques are used, a combination of dark blue or light blue for a contrast effect. The blue pigment was drawn with a brush. The blue and white range was popular among the European nobility and middle class. For English interiors, it was a find that contrasted and coexisted with dark and rich interiors, enlivening them and making them more attractive. By the end of the 19th century, the pieces had become an integral part of the interior, and therefore collectibles.