A study is presented of the characteristic features of white porcelain fragments of the Sui, Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In general, the northern porcelains appear slightly yellow but the southern porcelains appear slightly green. Chemical analysis shows the northern porcelains are high in alumina (31-37%), and the southern are high in silica (70-76%). The composition of the white porcelain glazes show that the northern glazes are so-called lime-magnesia glaze belonging to the system CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ but the southern glazes are so-called lime-alkaline glaze belonging to the system CaO-K₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂. Microscopic and x-ray diffraction studies show the northern porcelains consist largely of mullite, and a small amount of cristobalite but the southern have a larger amount of quartz crystals, and a smaller amount of mullite. -- AATA