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Porcelain from the imperial kilns
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CHINA’S celebrated porcelain reached its zenith during the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming dynasties (1368-1644), during the time when imperial pottery was produced in the kilns at Jingdezhen. Because Jingdezhen produced porcelain for the emperor, it had to adhere to the highest standards: Pieces that did not meet those lofty standards were unceremoniously shattered. Thus when archeologists began excavating the kilns in the 1980s, the pottery shards they unearthed were of remarkable quality. One hundred and eighty of those excavated pieces from Jingdezhen — fully restored works and shards — are currently on display at the West Lake Art Museum through November 5, providing an invaluable glimpse into the culture, technology, and history of ceramics.
Exhibits range from the classic Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain and exquisite white glazed ceramics to ritual vessels and daily utensils, while the exhibition itself is divided between the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
The Yuan court focused on craftsmanship and international trade — the latter created the famous Chinese export porcelain, made in China with decoration for European, North American, and even Middle Eastern markets — which boosted porcelain development. Thanks to improved technology and innovations such as superior firing temperatures and techniques such as the mixing of clays to create deeper colors, blue-and-white porcelain reached its peak in Jingdezhen at this time. In addition, larger plates and jars were produced with increasingly sophisticated designs.
A restored plate on display showcases the skills and techniques of the era. Featuring a floral pattern on the rim and a three-clawed dragon surrounded by auspicious clouds in the center, it was the only large-size porcelain recovered from the Maqiao Kiln Relic in Jingdezhen.
Some of the more interesting works on display are the Chinese export porcelain pieces, such as a bowl similar to a traditional Muslim bronze vessel, most likely created for export to the Middle East.
Porcelain at Jingdezhen evolved, moving from the classic blue-and-white to red, green, grey, black and brown. A red-and-white wine cup on display is a particularly beautiful example: taking its shape from the traditional three-legged Chinese bronze vessel, its distinctive red hue comes from coppery clay, fired at 1,300 degrees Celsius, and then glazed to produce a sheen, a technique believed to have developed at the Jun Kiln in Henan Province.
An exquisite bottle painted with dragons showcases a tradition that began during the Yuan Dynasty. This bottle was a gift from the emperor to an eminent Tibetan monk. Since Tibet became an official administrative region during the Yuan Dynasty, every royal court presented Tibetan monks with porcelain, jade, and silk.
Ming Dynasty porcelain, the focus of the second part of the exhibition, is well documented in historical records, but physical pieces were unknown in the modern era, until an old mill was discovered on Zhushan, Jingdezhen. The mill was believed to be an imperial factory that produced porcelain exclusively for emperors and court officials; artifacts unearthed show sophisticated techniques.
Ming-era porcelain is easily categorized, as each emperor had his own distinctive style. Pieces on display show that during the reign of Emperor Hongwu, the blue-and-white pieces were larger, with a deeper hue, and the patterns were less complex than those during the Yuan, while the red glazed pottery was not as vibrant as it became later.
Ming Dynasty porcelain was at its height during the era of Emperor Yongle. It was during this period that craftsman began the tradition of inscribing characters on the bottom of vessels. The Yongle era was also when the famous tianbai porcelain came into being. Featuring semi-transparent white glaze, its name — literally, “sweet-white” — is a reference to the porcelain’s crystal sugar texture.
Several examples of tianbai are on display, including a tianbai bianzhong, a set of chiming bells set in a wooden frame and struck with a mallet. These polyphonic musical instruments dominated royal music, and were crafted in bronze and porcelain. One historically important tianbai artifact on display is a brick recovered from Bao’en Temple in Nanjing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Archeologists believe that the existence of this brick may prove that the imperial mill produced building materials for the royal court.
The following period, that of Emperor Xuande, has been dubbed by archeologists as porcelain’s golden era, when techniques and skills were enhanced even further and output increased. It was also at this time that artisans began copying Song Dynasty porcelain styles.
Jingdezhen’s production eventually tapered off during the turbulent reigns of Zhengtong, Jingtai and Tianshun. But even then, porcelain continued to be produced in Jingdezhen, notably cloisonné, renowned for its beautiful blue patterns. This exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the beauty and diversity of a Chinese art form at its height.
Date: Through November 5 (closed on Mondays)
Address: 25 Gushan Rd
Admission: Free
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