Blue and white ceramic was developed shortly before the Yuan dynasty and has always been appreciated by Chinese scholars for its refinement and simplicity.
青花，是指創始於宋元之際，以氧化鈷為主配成顏料，在坯體上作畫，外表施以無色透明釉，再經高溫燒成的一種瓷器技法。由於中國文人喜愛素雅，因此青花在國人眼中一向評價甚高。