Name the body as well as the finish
A glossy white glaze tells you little about the clay underneath. Compare terracotta or red earthenware for a visible clay colour, fine earthenware for decorated shapes and stoneware for a heavier table setting. For feldspathic porcelain and bone china, ask to compare an unglazed foot, the finished weight and the translucency of the actual sample. Request the body specification when a factory uses the trade terms fine pottery, fineware or stone china.
Evaluate a complete setting
A cup can meet its drawing and still wobble on its saucer. Sample cups with matching saucers and teapots with their lids. Stack several dinner plates to check total shelf height, and inspect a cake stand for fit and stability. For an oil dispenser, test the spout with the intended liquid. On handmade or reactive-glaze lines, use a signed range of acceptable colours instead of one favourable photograph.
Confirm what the decoration changes
Tell the ceramic factory exactly where the artwork is applied, especially on a drinking rim or serving surface. Ask whether the proposed SKU uses a decal, hand painting or a different glazing sequence, and whether the tested sample represents that finish. Record any care instructions only after the selected version has supporting evidence.
Include in your enquiry
- Body, glaze, decoration position and sale market
- Dimensions and capacity of each piece, stack height and lid fit
- Approved colour range, test sample and protective pack for each set