Porcelain single operation. In this process, "green" (unfired) ceramic wares are heated to high temperatures in a kiln to permanently set their shapes. Porcelain is fired at a higher temperature than earthenware so that the body can vitrify and become non-porous. Porcelain originated in China, and it took a long time to reach the modern material. Until recent times, almost all East Asian porcelain was of the hard-paste type. There is no precise date to separate the production of proto-porcelain from that of porcelain. Although proto-porcelain wares exist dating from the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC), by the time of the Eastern
Chinese ceramics terms used to classify Chinese porcelain by the dominant element in its colour palette. Famille verte (康熙五彩, "Kangxi wucai", also 素三彩, "Susancai"), adopted in the Kangxi period (1662–1722), uses green and iron red with other overglaze colours. It developed from the "Wucai" (五彩, "Five colours") style. Famille jaune is a variation using famille verte enamels on a yellow ground. Famille noire (Chinese: 黑地素三彩, "Modi susancai") uses a black ground (although some clobbered wares had the black added in the 19th century). Famille rose (known in Chinese as "Fencai" (粉彩) or "Ruancai" (軟彩, simplified 软彩), meaning 'soft colours', and later as