East to West: Understanding Ancient China's Cultural Exports Through Export Porcelain

The dataset entitled <i>“Eastern Objects, Western Markets: Understanding Cultural Transmission through Chinese Export Porcelain”</i> provides a systematic compilation of porcelain vessel types that circulated from China to overseas markets during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It captures the diversity of forms, decorative styles, and functional adaptations that reflect the entanglement of local craft traditions with global consumer preferences. The dataset includes typological classifications of export porcelain, ranging from utilitarian wares to symbolically charged collectibles, thereby offering researchers a valuable resource for exploring the intersection of art, trade, and cultural hybridity.The dataset records detailed morphological parameters such as vessel shape, handle structure, decorative techniques, and size specifications, enabling both qualitative interpretation and quantitative analysis. By organizing data into coherent categories, it facilitates cross-comparison of patterns and trends, providing insights into the evolution of porcelain as a transregional art commodity. This structure allows scholars to investigate not only artistic features but also the socio-technical and economic dynamics underpinning porcelain production and circulation.Data were collected and curated from multiple reliable and openly accessible sources. These include physical collections and archives at the Guangdong Museum, verified entries from online digital heritage repositories, and published academic articles. All materials were obtained under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Accordingly, the dataset itself is released under CC BY 4.0, ensuring that it can be freely shared, adapted, and reused with appropriate attribution.This dataset aims to contribute to the broader field of heritage studies, global art history, and digital archaeology by offering a rigorously compiled and openly licensed foundation for further research. Scholars, educators, and cultural institutions may employ it to examine trade-driven cultural flows and to contextualize Chinese export porcelain within global heritage discourse.