Dating Chinese Porcelain By The Foot Rims

Learning how to date Chinese porcelains requires a solid understanding of many elements that makes up a piece. From shapes, to glazes, marks, colors, painting styles and those unglazed foot rims. In this post we're going to focus on the later. Including examples from the later Ming Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty.

It's not all you need to know of course, but knowing them will give you a strong indicator of an object's true age. If the foot isn't right for the period being suggested or represented, then neither is the piece 99% of the time. The appearance of the foot is final confirmation good or bad after looking at the rest of the example. This is the one area the copyists and fakers have been so far unable to replicate accurately, though they do come very close at times. Just not close enough.

: Circa 1830 Chinese Export

: Foot Rim, Circa 1830 Chinese Export

: Circa 1830 Chinese Export Tea Pot

: Foot Rim, Circa 1830 Chinese Export

: Guangxu Tea Dust Vase

: Guangxu Tea Dust Vase

: Late Qing Lantern

: Late Qing Lantern

: Late 19th Famille Rose

: Late 19th C. Famille Rose

: Late 19th Famille Rose

: Late 19th Famille Rose with Kangxi Marks

: Early 20th C. Famille Rose

: Early 20th C. Famille Rose

: Late Qing Famille Rose vase foot

: Late Qing Famille Rose vase

: Late Qing under glaze blue vase foot

: Late Qing under glaze blue vases

: Late Qing famille Jaune Vase foot

: Late Qing famille Jaune Vases

: Late Qing Famille Rose vases

: Late Qing Famille Rose vases

: Qing Rose Mandarin bottle vase foot

: Qing Rose Mandarin bottle vase

: Late Qing famille verte vase

: Late Qing famille verte vase

: Late Qing Famille Rose Hat Stand foot rim

: Late Qing Famille Rose Hat Stands

: Qing celadon slip decorated basin base

: Qing celadon slip decorated basin

: Late Qing Guangxu foot rim and mark

: Late Qing Guangxu dragon bowl

: Late Qing tea dust vase

: Late Qing tea dust vase foot

: Late Qing tea dust vase

: Qing famille rose plates, circa 1830’s

: Pair of fine Rose Canton plates, circa 1830

: Late Qing famille rose peach box foot

: Late Qing famille rose peach box

: Late Qing chinese stacking cup foot

: Late Qing famille rose Chinese stacking cup foot

: Late Qing famille rose peach plate foot

: Late Qing famille rose peach plate

: 18th C. Famille verte foo lion.

: Famille verte foo lion base

: Famille verte foo lion base detail

: 18th C. langyao vase

: 18th C. langyao vase foot

: Qianlong period buddhist alter stick.

: Qianlong period buddhist alter stick.

: Yongzheng doucai vase.

: Yongzheng doucai vase mark and base.

: Kangxi blue and white plate.

: Kangxi plate base and reign mark.

: 18th C. Chinese export grisaille teapot

: Kangxi double gourd celadon vase

: Kangxi double gourd celadon vase foot

: 18th C. Chinese export grisaille teapot

: Kangxi censor with precious objects.

: Kangxi censor foot rim

: Kangxi or early 18th C. meiping, see similar Freer Gallery

: Kangxi or early 18th C. meiping foot rim, see similar Freer Gallery

: Kangxi blue and white bowl

: Kangxi bowl foot rim

: 18th porcelain tea box

: 18th porcelain tea box base.

: Kangxi shoulu figure base.

: Kangxi shoulu figure.

: Kangxi joined vase

: Kangxi joined vase base.

: Kangxi joined vase foot

: Kangxi wucai plate

: Kangxi wucai plate base

: Kangxi wucai plate foot

: 18th Dehua cup

: 18th Dehua cup base

: Yongzheng to Qianlong plate

: Yongzheng to Qianlong plate foot and base

: Qianlong stem cup

: Qianlong stem cup foot

: Kangxi peach bloom vase

: Kangxi peach bloom vase base and reign mark.

: Kangxi peach bloom water pot

: Kangxi peach bloom water pot foot and reign mark.

: Kangxi bowl, Sancai glaze

: Kangxi spinach and egg bowl, Sancai

: Kangxi celadon jar with later silver mounts

: Kangxi celadon jar foot, with later silver mounts

: 18th C. ink stone

: 18th C. ink stone base

: 18th C. slip decorated celadon vase

: 18th C. slip decorated celadon vase foot

: Kangxi famille verte tea pot

: Kangxi famille verte tea pot base

: Kangxi turquoise pomegranate jar

: Kangxi turquoise jar foot

: Kangxi copper red bowl

: Kangxi copper red bowl foot-base

: Kangxi garniture vase

: Kangxi meiping celadon vase

: Kangxi vase foot

: Kangxi meiping celadon foot

: 18th C. famille rose charger

: 18th C. famille rose charger foot

: 18th C. famille rose charger foot

: Kangxi phoenix bowl

: Kangxi bowl foot

: Early 20th C. Famille Rose

: Pair of Kangxi famille verte jars. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair of Kangxi famille verte jars, foot rims. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi blue and white bowl. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi blue and white bowl foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi blue and white jar. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi blue and white jar foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi Yen-Yen vase. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi Yen-Yen vase foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi blue and white landscape vase. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi blue and white landscape vase foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi period blue and white vase foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi period blue and white vase. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi period blue and white vase foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: 18th C. Export Rockefeller dish. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: 18th C. Export Rockefeller dish foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi wucai bowl. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi wucai bowl grooved foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi famille verte vase with Immortals. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi famille verte vase with Immortals foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi famille verte vase with warriors riding horses. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi famille verte vase with warriors riding horses, foot . (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)rim.

: Yongzheng famille rose jar. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Yongzheng famille rose jar foot rim and lid foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi famille verte charger. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi famille verte charger base and foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair Kangxi period sleeve vases. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Kangxi period sleeve vases, foot rims. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair of Qianlong plates with figures. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair of Qianlong plates with figures foot rims. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair of Kangxi Imari jars with dragon and phoenix designs. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair of Kangxi Imari jars with dragon and phoenix designs, foot rims. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair of Kangxi famille verte jars and lids. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Pair of Kangxi famille verte jars and lids, foot rims. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Transitional period blue and white food pot base.

: Transitional period blue and white food pot.

: Transitional vase foot rim.

: Transitional blue and white vase.

: Transitional vase foot rim.

: Large Transitional wucai jar base

: Large Transitional wucai jars.

: Transitional to early Kangxi incense burner .

: Transitional to early Kangxi incense burner base.

: Transitional period censor with Luohans.

: Transitional period censor with Luohans foot rim.

: Transitional period wucai jar.

: Transitional period wucai jar base.

: Transitional period jar.

: Transitional period blue and white jar.

: Transitional period jar base

: Late Ming Swatow Porcelain Charger, notable for very gritty, dirty bottoms. Unlike most Ming porcelains.

: Late Ming Swatow Porcelain Charger, notable for very gritty, dirty bottoms. Unlike most Ming porcelains.

: Late Ming to Transitional Anhua decorated charger with blue and white decorations. Minor bit of kiln grit, smooth narrow foot.

: Late Ming to Transitional Anhua decorated charger with blue and white decorations. Minor bit of kiln grit, smooth narrow foot.

: Ming, Jiajing blue and white porcelain bowl. mark and period.

: Ming, Jiajing blue and white porcelain bowl. mark and period.

: Late Ming cobalt blue jar.

: Late Ming cobalt blue jar. foot.

: 16th C. crackle glazed pottery Guanyin figure with hollow unglazed interior.

: 16th C. crackle glazed pottery Guanyin figure with hollow unglazed interior.

: Transitional period wucai glazed jar foot rim. SLightly blurry blue, with squirrel and grape vine pattern.

: Transitional period wucai glazed jar foot rim. This foot is very dirty, slightly concave with fine turning lines. NOTE: Fakes have turning lines as well.

: Ming dynasty Wanli mark and period peacock jar. dense white paste, iron oxide along the edges.

: Ming dynasty Wanli mark and period peacock jar. dense white paste, iron oxide along the edges.

: Ming dynasty Wanli mark and period peacock jar. dense white paste, iron oxide along the edges.

: Jiajing to Wanli jar with fish decorations. The foot is well squared, very dense paste. Overall bluish tone to glaze.

: Jiajing to Wanli jar with fish decorations. The foot is well squared, very dense paste. Overall bluish tone to glaze.

: Jiajing blue and white jar.

: Jiajing blue and white jar base.

: Jiajing blue and white guan, (previously drilled)

: Jiajing blue and white jar base (previously drilled)

: Jiajing vase, (previously drilled as a lamp)

: Jiajing vase base, (previously drilled as a lamp)

: Late Ming blue and white jar, vines and grapes patterns.

: Late Ming jar foot.

: Late Ming cizhou pottery jar. Bought during the 1980’s ex collection of American Artist Joseph Lindon Smith, 1863-1950. Not terribly rare, but very well done. Authors collection.

: Late Ming cizhou pottery foot rim and base.

: 16th C. Chinese charger, Jiajing period. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: 16th C. Chinese charger, Jiajing period. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Ko-Sometsuke dish for the Japanese Market. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Ko-Sometsuke dish for the Japanese Market (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions) foot rim.

: Dated Chinese Wanli mark and period jar foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Dated Chinese Wanli mark and period jar. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Late Chinese Ming Jar and lid. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Late Chinese Ming Jar and lid foot rim and underside. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Wanli blue and white tea pot. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Wanli blue and white tea pot foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Wanli jar with flowers. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Wanli jar with flowers, foot rim. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Wanli blue and white vase. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

: Chinese Wanli blue and white vase base. (Courtesy Rob Michiels Auctions)

Comments

Steven Danser says

March 13, 2020 at 7:43 am

Wonderful! This helps tremendously to clear up some questions for me. Much appreciate your efforts in the area of training others!

Timothy Bertrand says

May 26, 2020 at 2:10 pm

Great photos thanks! My question is what exactly am I looking for with regard to foot rims?

Jennifer says

August 30, 2020 at 3:07 pm

Very helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowlege.

Vicky says

November 22, 2020 at 1:36 pm

Thank you once again Peter! You are truly an inspiration in helping educate collectors, scholars, appraisers and dealers. Thank you so much for sharing your vast knowledge and and inspiring all of us to learn, teach and share!

tony bonn says

February 17, 2023 at 12:28 am

i cannot say enough positive things about these types of tutorials. i hope that you find the time to produce others which cover technical aspects of the porcelain such as glaze, enamel, form – anything to help enlighten about chinese porcelains across the centuries.

thea says

April 3, 2025 at 5:28 am

i have been collecting shards for 60 years off south african east coast i have wonderful shards with foot rims, id like to group them , as i would like to do something meaningful with these shards. I have shards with Wanli and Jiajing marks on them. i am in process of working out sizes seems like i have a few pieces from crow cups also pouring vessel with frog, to name but a few . Thank you for your photos it helped regognize and organize some shards.

Dating Chinese Porcelain By The Foot Rims

Dating Chinese Porcelain, learn about the feet too visually!

Chinese Porcelain By The Foot Rims

Comparing them by age and period.

Late Qing 1800 to 1908

Pay attention to the shape of the foot rims, color and texture.

Early Qing 17th C. to 1800

Footrims are much smoother, whiter/creamy and denser.

Late Ming to Transitional Period

White, knife trim marks very pure paste.