Illustrated Brief History of Chinese Porcelain: History - Culture - Aesthetics

by Guimei Yang, Hardie Alison (Translator)

Overview

This book provides a condensed, comprehensible, but complete overview of the history of Chinese porcelain.

By studying the most notable characteristics of porcelain in different periods throughout history, it explores the evolution of the great kilns, and describes the influence of factors such as social and economic development, political change, and foreign cultures. Each one of these affected porcelain's shapes, uses, colors, styles, patterns, and other features in unique ways. An Illustrated Brief History of Chinese Porcelain explains the cultural implications and the aesthetic and philosophical concepts which underlie the porcelain we know today.

The origins of Chinese porcelain lie as far back as the Shang (1600–1050BCE) and Zhou (1046–256BCE) dynasties. One of the treasures of Chinese civilization, porcelain was first fashioned in the five great kiln-sites at the beginning of the second millennium, then evolved to form the splendid blue-and-white of the Yuan, before reaching its apogee in the Ming (1368–1644AD) and Qing (1644–1912AD) dynasties.

An Illustrated Brief History of Chinese Porcelain makes extensive use of archeological material from excavations at historic kilns and grave sites undertaken since 1949, as well as the results of new research. It presents readers with images of outstanding examples of different types of porcelain—including celadon, blanc de Chine, famille rose, and blue-and-white ware.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602201736
Publisher:	Shanghai Press
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	7.25(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Yang Guimei majored in archeology at Peking University, China's leading institution for this subject, and now works as a senior researcher and exhibit developer at the National Museum of China. She was responsible for the planning and design of a major exhibit held there in 2012—"Passion for Porcelain: Masterpieces of Ceramics from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum."

Table of Contents

Chapter I From Earthenware to Porcelain 9

1 The Sublimation of Clay: the Age of Earthenware 9

2 A New Domestic Favorite: Proto-Porcelain 11

3 Maturity in Potting and Glazing: the Spread of Greenware 14

4 Expressions of Faith: Religious Porcelains 17

Chapter II The Age of Celadon and White-Ware 21

1 Like Silver, Like Snow: the Rise of White-Ware 21

2 Mise Porcelain, an Advanced Form of Celadon 25

3 Changsha Ware: Naturally Poetic 28

Chapter III Song Porcelain: Expression through Form and Glaze Color 33

1 The Five Great Kiln Complexes: the Most Admired Porcelains 34

2 The Blooming of a Hundred Flowers: Regional Porcelains 43

3 Nostalgia for the Past: Archaistic Styles in Song Porcelain 49

4 Ethnic Identity: Porcelain of the Liao, Xixia, and Jin 50

Chapter IV Yuan Porcelain: Appreciation of Blue and White 57

1 The Fuliang Porcelain Bureau: the Rise of Jingdezhen 58

2 Veneration of "White: "Egg-White Glazed" Porcelain 59

3 Brilliant Blues: Underglaze Blue Decorated Porcelain 60

4 Harmony in Blue: the First Blue-Glazed Porcelains 66

5 Glowing Like Sunset Clouds: Underglaze Red Porcelains 67

6 An Export Best-Seller: Longquan Porcelain 69

Chapter V Officio! Versus Unofficial: Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty 73

1 The Imperial Porcelain Workshops 74

2 The Peak of Blue-and-White: Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Reigns 76

3 The Interregnum: Porcelain in a Time of Instability 80

4 The Spirit of Color: Doucai and Colored Enamels 81

5 Underglaze Blue and Polychrome: Porcelains of the Late Ming 84

Chapter VI Qing Porcelain: the Ultimate in Skill 89

1 Refined Elegance: Porcelain of the Shunzhi Period 90

2 Paintings Framed in Porcelain: Underglaze Blue and Polychrome Wares of the Kangxi Period 92

3 Western Technique Comes to the East: Yongzheng Polychrome 96

4 The Ultimate in Skill: Qianlong Porcelain 100

5 Return to Basics: Porcelain in the Late Qing 105

Chapter VII Flowers of a Foreign Land: Export Porcelain of the Ming and Qing 111

1 The Merchant Middlemen: the East India Companies 112

2 Crossroads of Trade: the Guangzhou Factories 114

3 European Styles Made in China: the Forms of Export Porcelain 115

4 For Export Only: "Kwon-Glazed" Porcelain 118

Appendices 120

Glossary 120

Bibliography 124

Dates of the Chinese Dynasties 125

Map of China with List of Major Kiln Sites 126

Index 127