Generally speaking, the determination of porcelain should start with the modeling, pattern, glaze, and mark.

On the modeling, we should lay the importance on the analysis and comparison of the differences between the styles of the genuine and the fake, including simplicity, unsophistication, roughness, beauty, loveliness, and know the evolving rules of the imitation and fake, like Yuhuchun vase with different styles in different ages from Song to the Republic of China. For example, the Qinghua Yuhuchun vase of Xuande Reign of Ming Dynasty imitated in Yongzheng Reign of Qing Dynasty was of many tiny differences between the imitation and the genuine only in modeling, leaving aside other aspects, although the skill of the imitation was elegant (see).Besides the overall style, for different utensils, observations should be taken on its mouth, belly, base, handle, neck, spout, loop, foot and detailed part of the inner utensil to see if there were difference in different dynasties or periods. It is very beneficial for appraising the porcelain if careful observation and measuring can often be taken on detailed parts of ancient porcelains and the weight and thickness be remembered.

The patterns of porcelain, like the modeling, also has strong characteristics of times. The patterns in different periods showed the difference of porcelains' subjects, patterning methods or technological skills, which have become an important evidence for determining the date and the genuineness of porcelains. For example, people in later times could not show again such unique characteristics as the faint of Qinghua pigment and the sunken specks on the surface of porcelain made in Yongle and Xuande Reigns in early Ming Dynasty. For porcelains made in Yongzheng Reign of Qing Dynasty, which were in the imitation of porcelains of Yongle and Xuande Reigns of Ming Dynasty, craftsmen used to twice touch up qinghua color to purposely imitate the fainting effect of Xuande qinghua, but because of the difference of materials, the problem of showy color was not solved(see).Another example is that in the patterns in contrasting colors of the porcelains made in Chenghua Reign, "no shade for flowers and leaves",(see Doucai cup with chrysanthemum sprays pattern) no exaggeration on painting the clothes of figures and no outside and inside of clothe so clothes looked like the unlined garment(see Doucai cup decorated with children at play design).These delicate characteristics of times were usually neglected by later imitators. The color-coating skills were developed, for instance the unique brilliant purple (see Doucai cup decorated with butterflies fluttering among flowers pattern ,Doucai dining plate withgrape pattern,both Chenghua Reign) and the non-application of black color to tracing the pattern should not be earlier than Zhengde Reign) in the Chenghua contrasting colored ware; the red color in Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty was the dark date-skir claret; the green color in Ming Dynasty was usually yellowish green; the fencai appeared in the middle and late time of Kangxi Reign; such knowledge must be possessed. Attentions shall also be paid to painting styles and techniques in drawing patterns. For instance, in the porcelains in cloisonne, fencai, five colors and contrasting colors of the early Qing Dynasty were imitated in later periods, the technique of drawing was reserved, un-matured, out of practice and stagnant, or the drawing lacked unity and vividness.(see)And when seeing some patterns were too smooth and fine, we shall suspect about them.

On body and glaze, the body (eggshell) is like bone while the glaze like the clothe. When observing the texture of body, we can start from the part not covered by glaze and pay attention to the purity of earth (clay) and the sintering density. Because of the different producing techniques in different periods, the earth in the period earlier than Ming Dynasty contained more metallic impurity than in Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, for the famous "utensil with fine sand (unglazed) base" made in Yongle and Xuande Reigns, the dark brown spots and red color which were results of the oxidized metals could be seen on unglazed parts (see);While the body of those imitations made in Ming Dynasty and the Republic of China did not have such oxidized spots because of the improvement of panning and firing techniques and this has been the vital weak points for fake ones. When holding a body of Ming's porcelain and looking at it against light, people can see the body is in flesh red color; the body of Chenghua porcelain, Ming Dynasty can been seen against light in ivory white or powder white; while the imitations in Qing Dynasty and Republic of China were in qinghua (bluish white).The texture of body in Kangxi Reign of Qing Dynasty was pure, smooth and hard and such characters were not achieved by imitations in later periods of Qing Dynasty and early period of Republic of China; for many Japanese-making porcelains in imitation of Ming and Qing porcelains, the texture of bodies were fired too much and when using the finger to knock the porcelain, people can gear clear sound, which is a shortcoming for imitations. On appraising the surface of glaze, attention should be paid to the degree offineness of glazed surface, the degree of the glossiness, thickness of glaze as well as the size and density of the bubble. For example, the glazed surface of porcelain in Ming Dynasty is in qingbai in certain degree and the glazed surface of the foot was usually different from that of the body; the glazed surface of porcelains in early period of Ming Dynasty usually had colorless natural crackle patterns and creeping phenomenon; the orange-peel glaze (see) of porcelain made in Xuande Reign of Ming Dynasty had delicate difference with the small wave patterns of the imitated porcelains made in Yongzheng Reign of Qing Dynasty, later Qing Dynasty and Republic of China; the glazed surface of porcelains made in Kangxi Reign of Qing Dynasty was compact and intense, there were hard-bright blue glaze, milk-white glaze and there was also the bubble-broken phenomenon... All porcelains have typical characteristics of times, which are vital for distinguishing the imitations and faked ones. On the glossiness of glazed surface, many imitators purposely turned simple things into mysteries by making the glazed surface of imitated porcelains look old: burying it into earth, polishing the surface, washing with herb, boiling with tea, bathing with thick liquid and even deliberately damaging the surface a little to pretend that the utensils were just unearthed. All the unnatural old glossness was not as same as the "soft glossiness" of the ancent porcelains which was formed naturally hecause of the long heriod) of time. And the last, on marks, there was also qreat varieties different dynasties and periods To understand the different styles of marks in different dynasties and periods, people can first study calligraphy at that time and then compare the marks of fake porcelains with that Of the genuine ones,study carefully about the structure of the characters,its arrangement and the phosition of marks on the porcelain as well as the thickness of the pigment color of marks by comparing the true utensils. (see) The rules of changes of the difference of marks in early, middle and late periods of the same dynasty or reign shall also be summed up.

All above-mentioned requirements are necessary for distinguishing the fakes and genuineness of porcelains. But meanwhile, the phenomenon of regarding anything as the fake ones shall also be avoided and shall not suspect all utensils. To improve the appraising ability, efforts shall be made ti have plenty observation on the true porcelains, then select some typical imitated and faked ones to study and accumulate experience by making comparisons and exchanging views with other people. Only then, can people make authoritarian judgment about the genuineness and date of porcelains.