Chinese Porcelain during Ming and Qing Dynasties

Presented by

Si Hongbo

Contents

• A Brief History of Chinese Ceramics and the Development of Porcelain in Ancient China.

• The Techniques, Skills and Secrets in Designing and Producing Porcelain Wares during Ming and Qing Dynasties.

• The Culture and Influence of the Chinese Porcelain during the two Dynasties.

Overview

• Once-fired

• High temperature

• Mainly blue-and-white

• First made in China

A Brief History• Chinese ceramics were invented during the Neolithic Pe

riod.

• True development began in Tang Dynasty --- tri-color pottery.

• Believed that under-glaze blue and white porcelain was first made then.

• Potters of the Ming dynasty perfected the quality of the porcelain.

A Brief History• Jingdezhen is the capital of Chinese porcelain.

• The quality of Ming porcelain is definitely superior among all time.

• Porcelain was enriched with the innovation of five-colored wares during the Qing Dynasty.

• The quality of Chinese porcelain began to decline from the end of the Qing Dynasty.

Techniques and Skills

• Porcelain is made from kaolin and petuntse.

• Glasslike, translucent, and strong ceramic

• Blue pigments are from

cobalt oxide.

• Under-glazing

Techniques and Skills

Techniques and Skills• Chinese porcelain is distinctively different from the

pottery made in Europe during the same period.

• It is admired for its whiteness and clearness.

• Thinner but harder

• Glaze does not wear or fade away with use.

Techniques and Skills• Significant developments in porcelain production

during the Ming dynasty

• Wide usage of multicolor glaze

• Practice of putting the artisan's signature, kiln's title and the year the piece was made at the bottom of each piece

Techniques and Skills

Culture and Influence • Blue and white porcelain reached the height of its

technical excellence during the later years of the reign of the Kangxi emperor.

• This tea caddy was produced during the Kangxi period.

• Translucent body; lakes and mountains with blazed rocks

Culture and Influence• In English, the word “china” has become

synonymous with high-quality porcelain.

• In ancient China, high-quality porcelain wares were not commonly seen in people’s houses. Most were used in royal families.

• Nowadays, traditional styles are being reproduced, and modern elements are being added into the design and production.

Culture and Influence

• Chinese porcelain had influence in Asia and Islamic world as well as in Europe.

• The plate shown was

made in England.

• Willow pattern was

an entirely European

design

Bibliography• 1. Nelson, G. C; Burkett, R, Ceramics, A Potter’s Handbook, Sixth Edition, 2002,

Thomson Learning, Inc.

• 2. Stokstad, M, Art History, Revised Second Edition, 2005, Pearson Education, Inc.

• 3. Tregear, M, Chinese Art, Revised Edition, 1997, Thames & Hudson Ltd, London.

• 4. A Day in My Life: http://www.aacexchange.org/html/student/Kate/index.htm

• 5. Arttiques: http://www.arttiques.com/

• 6. GG-Art: http://www.gg-art.com/index_e.php

• 7. Gotheborg: http://www.gotheborg.com/index.htm

• 8. Imperial Tours: http://www.imperialtours.net/index.htm

• 9. International Porcelain:

http://www.boltonmedia.com/internationalporcelain/index.html

• 10. Living in Indonesia: http://www.expat.or.id/

• 11. MysticAsia: http://www.mikalina.com/

• 12. Smithsonian Institution: http://www.si.edu/

• 13. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page/

The End