JingDeZhen Porcelain
Tuesday, March 07 2017 SuMeng Wei
Being produced in or near Jingdezhen in southern China, Jingdezhen porcelain is deemed as the pearl in the treasure house of Chinese art and culture. It dates back to as early as the 6th century CE. By the 14th century, Jingdezhen became the largest center of porcelain production in China. In the following centuries, it remained its popularity and increased its dominance. From the Ming Dynasty onwards, official kilns in Jingdezhen were run by the emperor, making imperial porcelain in large quantity for the court and the emperor. During its development course, the artists and craftsmen in Jingdezhen brought their full talent into play and created numerous masterpieces. Thanks to their hard working, Jingdezhen porcelain has been formed its own four special features that is, “White like jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper, sound like a chime.” Nowadays, the high quality Jingdezhen porcelain is renowned not only in China, but also became worldwide recognized.
Because of the fact that the production was controlled and regulated by the imperial court, official kilns were a necessity. From Ming Dynasty onwards, numerous imperial kilns were set in Jingdezhen to fulfill the large needs of the court, which were mainly used by the central court to distribute to the subsidiary courts, as well as being presented as gifts to other notables, and sent abroad as diplomatic gifts. Enormous production was in need, thus hiring numerous artists, craftsmen and workers to enhance the proficiency and consistency of the work. There were kilns built by locals as well, but the quality might not be as exquisite as the ones produced by the official kilns. And the porcelain was mainly used in the daily lives of the general public.
Jingdezhen bluish-white ware
Qingbai ("Blueish-white") ware was originally produced in Song Dynasty, during which it represented top standard of ceramic artistry. It was transparent and jade-like, with a transparent glaze revealing a blueish-white tint. Exquisite carving and incising were applied to decorate the wares.
Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain
As one of the most renowned porcelain around the world, Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain consists of a large quantity of pottery and porcelain decorated under the glaze with a blue pigment, which is extracted from cobalt oxide. A medium was applied to grind and mix the cobalt, and then the pigment was painted onto the dried bodies of the pots, which were then glazed and fired.
Aside from these two major porcelain mentioned above, Jingdezhen porcelain also contains multiple other types. It is the wisdom and the exquisite craftsmanship that shaped the fine quality and worldwide reputation of Jingdezhen porcelain. As one of the goods commuting on the Silk Road, porcelain played a key role in foreign exchanges on commodities, thus making the high-quality Jingdezhen porcelain a must.
Jingdezhen porcelain not only bears beauty and therefore the value of decoration, it also has multiple practical functionalities. For instance, they can be used as plates, bowls, vases and tea cups.