This book represents one potter's success in re-creating some of the most famous Chinese stoneware glazes, particularly those of the Sung dynasty, which many authorities consider the greatest age of Chinese pottery. The author explains how he re-creates light blue Chun; blue-gray and blue-green Kuan; a broad spectrum of celadons; dark blue-and-brown mottled glazes; copper red and peach bloom; turquoise; oil spot, hare's fur, and tea dust temmoku; Tz'u-chou; as well as several new, Chinese-inspired glazes. Supplementary information includes material on clay bodies and slips, glaze calculation, methods of calculation with certain special materials, and how to make and use synthetic wood ash—an essential component of Chinese glazes. Also included are a table of chemical contents of raw materials and a table of atomic weights, as well as a comprehensive glossary.

Masterpieces from museum collections highlight the 16 pages of full-color plates, accompanied by color photos of the author's re-creations of the glazes. The recreations are reproduced in close-up detail to illustrate the visual effects of the glazes.