| Canton porcelain | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 廣州彩瓷 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 广州彩瓷 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Canton coloured porcelain | ||||||||||
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| Guangcai | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 廣彩 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 广彩 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Canton colour | ||||||||||
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Canton or Cantonese porcelain is the characteristic style of ceramic ware decorated in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong and (prior to 1842) the sole legal port for export of Chinese goods to Europe. As such, it was one of the major forms of exportware produced in China in the 18th and 20th centuries.