Porcelain with a clay so thin that it seems to consist almost entirely of glaze. It is also called egg curtain or eggshell porcelain because its thinness resembles the shell of a chicken egg. When exposed to sunlight, the front and back of the piece show hand shadows. When the reverse side of a piece has a design, the outer floral pattern can be seen through the reverse side, and when it has an inscription, the inscription on the reverse side can be seen through the front side. These wares were first produced in China during the Ming dynasty (1403-24), and were imitated during the Qing dynasty (1662-1735), but could not be imitated after the Qianlong dynasty (1736-1955). The famous master craftsman was Shihtouken (1898-1894). There is another thin porcelain similar to the dehua porcelain made in the Douguang period (1821-150). Eiraku’s piece is slightly thicker and was called “semi-dewaxing” by later generations. The thinner, bamboo-paper-like set is called “shin-dekucho.
Shin-dekko is also found in the folk kilns of Seika (1465-187) and Ryukei and Manryei (1567-1620). Although the above theories are well-known, there is a strong tendency to question this theory because there are no artifacts to confirm what kind of dehiscence is found in the Yongle period.
