Shiwan ware

[1] The hilly, wooded, area provided slopes for dragon kilns to run up, and fuel for them,[2] and was near major ports.

The area has been producing pottery since the Neolithic, and over 100 kiln-sites have now been excavated, but large-scale production of a variety of wares began under the late Ming dynasty, and continues to the present.

The kilns were large producers of roof tiles, including the ornamented or fully sculptural elements used for larger buildings.

They also produced large but elegant storage jars called martabans, which were perhaps sometimes distributed containing food products, and sometimes as empty vessels.

Unlike other kiln centres like Jingdezhen, potter's marks were often used, allowing some to build up reputations among collectors, and giving some information about the structure of the industry, and lineages of potting families.

[8] Helped by its proximity to Hong Kong, Shiwan continues to be a leader in contemporary Chinese ceramics design.