How to care for antique ceramics and porcelain

From Chinese export porcelain to English bone china, ceramics are some of the most enduring antiques you can own — and some of the most fragile. A little care goes a long way towards keeping glazes bright, gilding intact and old repairs from failing. Here’s how to look after antique china and porcelain properly.

Handle with two hands, always

Never lift a cup by its handle or a vase by its neck — old repairs and hairline cracks often hide at exactly these stress points. Support the base with one hand and steady the body with the other, and always move one piece at a time rather than carrying a stack.

Washing: warm, gentle, and rarely in the machine

Hand-wash in lukewarm water with a mild, unscented washing-up liquid, using a soft cloth rather than a scourer. Hot water and sudden temperature changes can craze glazes or loosen old glue, so let hot-water pieces cool before they touch the sink. Gilded rims should never go in a dishwasher — the heat and detergents dull gold decoration quickly, and over time will wear it away completely.

Watch out for crazing and old restoration

Fine cracks in the glaze, known as crazing, are common in older ceramics and are usually stable, but they can absorb liquids and stains if the piece is used for food or drink. Many decorative antique pieces have had a repair at some point — a re-glued handle, a filled chip — and these old restorations are usually more vulnerable to water and heat than the original ceramic body, so treat any piece with a repair as display-only.

Displaying safely

Use plate stands and purpose-made risers rather than propping pieces against each other, and keep collections away from direct sunlight, which can fade painted decoration over years. On open shelving, a little museum putty under the foot rim is a sensible precaution in a household with children, pets, or a draughty old floor.

Dusting and everyday care

A soft, dry brush or lint-free cloth is usually all that’s needed for dusting — avoid feather dusters, which can catch on raised decoration or fine gilding. Check pieces periodically for loose handles or hairline cracks, and address any wobble in a repair before it’s handled again.

We keep a changing selection of Chinese, Japanese and English decorative ceramics in the showroom — see the current collection or ourguide to Asian antiques for more on Chinese porcelain and Japanese decorative arts. If you’ve inherited a piece and aren’t sure what it’s worth, our guide to how antiques are valued is a good place to start, or get in touchand bring it in.