Ming Dynasty was the heyday in the history of blue and white porcelain development. On the basis of inheriting the advantages of blue and white porcelain in the Yuan Dynasty, craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty pioneered and innovated.
The cobalt materials used in the early Ming Dynasty were mostly domestic cobalt materials, and a small amount of imported materials left by Yuan Dynasty . Most of the blue and white porcelains of this period left black and blue marks, which felt rough. During the Yongle period, Zheng He's voyage to the West brought the high-quality "Suniboqing" overseas, and the blue and white colors were even brighter and brighter.
(Ming Jiajing·Blue and White Crane Auspicious Cloud Pattern Panel)
In the late Jiajing period, craftsmen tried to use Huiqing materials and stone blue materials to make blue and white porcelain more expressive. The blue and white porcelain of this period was reddish and purple, which is the best among blue and white porcelain - blue gold blue. In the late Wanli period, large pieces of blue and white porcelain began to appear. The blue and white porcelain in the Tianqi and Chongzhen periods were pure and rich, and the production was fine. The blue and white porcelain in the early Qing Dynasty basically followed the characteristics of this period. Today, let’s talk about the classic patterns of Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain.
auspicious beast
dragon pattern is an indispensable decorative pattern under the feudal imperial rule. It not only represents the supremacy of imperial power, but also has the meaning of auspiciousness and protection. During the production process of the official kiln, the design of the dragon pattern is basically complex and gorgeous, and most of them are extremely exquisite.
In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the main status of the five-claw dragon pattern was basically determined. During the Yongle period, the sea water dragon pattern appeared, and the five-claw dragon pattern also began to slowly transform into four-claw or three-claw dragon pattern. During the Xuande period, most dragon patterns coexisted with phoenix patterns. Most of the dragon patterns during this period were full of fighting spirit and elegant in shape. Most of the dragon patterns in the Yongxuan period were fierce in appearance, which was a promotion of the founding spirit of the Ming Taizu.
(Ming Yongle·Blue and White Wave Dragon Pattern Jue Cup, Jue Pallet, Collection of Taipei National Palace Museum)
The dragon pattern in the mid-Ming Dynasty had many changes in shape, some of which were curled, and fancy dragon patterns appeared after the Yongle Dynasty. The dragon patterns in the Hongzhi period were relatively special and were very cute "myopic dragons", because the dragon's eyes were very rigid and basically looked straight. The dragon pattern in the late Ming Dynasty gradually lost its mighty and fierceness, which was related to the war-torn environment and people's mentality. Dragons became round and fat, thin and weak, without the might of the royal family.
On the blue and white porcelain in the early Ming Dynasty, there were basically no Qilin and lion pattern , and it was not until the blue and white porcelain during the Xuande period that it gradually appeared. The appearance of the Qilin in the Yuan Dynasty was similar to that of the dragon, but in the Xuande period, the appearance of the Qilin began to tend toward the wolf. During the Hongzhi period, because a large number of lions were tributed to the palace, people's observation of lions became more detailed, so lion patterns frequently appeared during this period. After the Wanli period, due to the sharp decline in lion imports, the lion patterns on porcelain gradually decreased, and the description of lions was more concise.
Flowers, birds, mountains and rivers
In the early Ming Dynasty, the shapes and patterns of blue and white porcelain were relatively simple, and mainly focused on flowers that symbolize wealth and auspiciousness. After the Yongle year, the flower themes gradually became richer.
(Ming Yongle·Blue and White Asters Carnation Picture Bottle)
Among flowers, lotus is the most common theme. Since ancient times, lotus has been a subject used by literati to express nobility. The lotus is in line with the spirit of ancient literati and also contains the spiritual yearning of the secular people. Since the introduction of Buddhism, the concept of religion has been added to the noble meaning of lotus. For the rulers, the meaning of "wealth and integrity" represented by lotus is what they like. , with lotus as the main theme, , was most common in the Ming Dynasty. The twigs are continuous and have certain regular patterns, with a repetitive and lively beauty. The pattern characteristics of the woven lotus also allow it to better fit the shapes of various objects, and often appear as edge patterns. The blue and white branches can show elegance and serenity anywhere, and will not appear abrupt.
(Ming Tianqi·Blue and White Spirit Monkey Stealing Peach Picture Ruyi Style Plate)
Peony Pattern, showing its magnificence and is also one of the favorite patterns of the Ming Dynasty from the official to the people.Peony patterns were used in Jingdezhen porcelain in the Ming Dynasty, which not only meant wealth and auspiciousness, but also had the connotation of the king among flowers. After the sea pomegranate pattern was introduced from Iran, it remained deeply loved by the people of the Central Plains. Craftsmen often combine this pattern with grape patterns, which means having more children and more blessings.
Flower themes are generally matched with bird patterns and insect patterns. This is the interest of traditional Chinese literati paintings and a continuation of traditional aesthetics that are suitable for movement and stillness. The combination of birds and flowers in the blue and white porcelain patterns will mostly combine the homophonic meaning of Chinese, meaning good wishes and hope.
characters
In the past, the characters painted on porcelain were mainly aimed at "politics and religion", and promoted traditional virtues or loyalty and obedience to the emperor. By the prosperous period of blue and white porcelain, this concept has gradually changed. With the expansion of the citizen class, the patterns of these characters have begun to turn to entertainment, and have reached the goal of increasing the fun of the utensils and allowing more people to watch.
(Ming Jiajing·Blue and White Infant Play Picture Lid Can)
For example, the blue and white porcelain of this period has appeared in the storylines such as "The West Chamber", "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Water Margin", etc., which makes blue and white porcelain more friendly to the people. In addition, the popular baby dramas, gods and ladies have also become the main themes. During the Jiajing period, in order to reflect the cuteness of infants and children, craftsmen often highlighted the children's heads, and the characters seemed to be top-heavy, which became a very prominent feature.
Of course, because blue and white porcelain itself has an elegant interest, it has a strong expressiveness in landscape paintings of literati, and landscape paintings on early blue and white porcelain were extremely common. In the Wanli era, China's printmaking art entered its heyday. Bookshops spared no effort to win over literati and painters, and the market price gradually increased. The creation of blue and white porcelain has also been influenced by it, and many paintings that are well-known in the printmaking industry have also become the main materials for the creation of blue and white porcelain.
(Ming Xuande·Blue and White Xixi Wenqiao Picture Plum Vase)
craftsmen abandoned the traditional practice of choosing subject matter from novels, operas or landscape literati paintings, but used a large number of literati paintings at that time. Therefore, the blue and white porcelain figure paintings of this period have some characteristics of printmaking, and most of the characters have big heads and short bodies.
Conclusion
After bidding farewell to the ancient times when the Gods were the only ones, the patterns developed from the initial pleasing gods to a symbol of a better life. In the blue and white porcelain decorations of the Ming Dynasty, no matter how ever the composition changes, it presents a unified and harmonious picture, conveying auspicious meaning.
Before the emergence of blue and white porcelain, most of the porcelain decorations in my country were reflected in carving and printing. Since the Yuan Dynasty, brushes have become tools for drawing patterns, allowing ink and water landscape painting to be beautifully combined with porcelain. White-ground blue and white porcelain was widely loved because of its rich changes. As its heyday, the Ming Dynasty began to pursue innovation in shapes and patterns.
Indeed, the blue and white porcelain patterns with the official kiln style as the weather vane represent the aesthetics and ideals of the ruling class, and each period will change according to the emperor's preferences. But subtly, the psychology of the people in the city and the skills of folk craftsmen also influence the enrichment and changes of blue and white porcelain patterns. In short, people's pursuit of beautiful life is the fundamental reason for the continuous renovation of blue and white porcelain patterns.
Chinese culture is profound and profound. The reason why porcelain is popular among friends at home and abroad is because of their endless creativity and positive feelings. The essence of blue and white porcelain is also the essence of the Chinese spirit - keep striving for excellence and good luck.
Reference
Feng Xianming——"The Origin and Development of Blue and White Porcelain"
Wang Wenxiu——"On the Decorative Combination of Lotus Patterns"
Ma Wenkuan——"Chinese Blue and White Porcelain and Islamic Blue and White Porcelain"
Wu Dan——"Research on Dragon Pattern Porcelain in the Early Ming Dynasty"
