Delicate and exquisite, porcelain is one of China’s most important inventions. Traditional blue and white porcelain, an especially exemplary combination of skillful technique and aesthetic sensibility, is regarded as one of the most unique forms of Chinese ceramics. For traditional qinghua blue and white porcelain, one first applies patterns with cobalt blue pigments to a plain ceramic body, upon which a clear layer of glaze is added. The item is then fired at high temperatures. This kind of porcelain came to represent the mainstream of Chinese porcelain during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The guanyao (imperial court-operated kilns in Jingde) created exquisite works for the court. The minyao, on the other hand, produced simple ware for common people’s daily use. Because of their elegance, blue and white porcelain items are highly collectible and often used for decoration.So as to celebrate the cultural legacy, Chunghwa Post has selected works from the National Museum of History for a set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet. Their designs follow:Stamps: Dish decorated with floral design in underglaze blue, Qing Dynasty (NT$5); Jar decorated with peony pattern in underglaze blue, Ming Dynasty (NT$10); Jar decorated with dragon design and character “shou” in underglaze blue, Ming Dynasty (NT$12); Flat vase decorated with ladies in underglaze blue, Qing Dynasty (NT$20).Souvenir Sheet: Plate decorated with flower and bird pattern in underglaze blue, Qing Dynasty (NT$25). To add to collecting interest, this Post will, for the first time ever, release a total of 250,000 sheets of pair souvenir sheet. Also released is a stamp folio. It comes with a set of 4 stamps, a souvenir sheet, a set of 4 pre-cancelled maximum cards, and a souvenir sheet maximum card.