China is the hometown of porcelain, blue and white porcelain is a gorgeous and strange flower in ancient Chinese porcelain. The blue and white porcelain has a delicate body, a lush glaze, and a white blue flower. It has the effect of traditional Chinese ink painting, giving people a fresh and elegant beauty. Since the Yuan Dynasty, it has been popular for a long time. Its rich shapes, exquisite patterns and elegant temperament are deeply loved by the Chinese people and become the mainstream of Ming and Qing porcelain. Not only that, blue and white porcelain is also sold overseas, with strong vitality and is praised and imitated by neighboring countries in China. Tianjin Museum has a large number of blue and white porcelains in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Representative artifacts of each period have collections, all of which are systemic and are one of the characteristics of the museum's collections. The author briefly analyzes several representative objects in the Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain collection of the Tianjin Museum.
Hongwu ~Xuande blue and white porcelain
Blue and white porcelain in the Hongwu period is in the transitional stage of development from the Yuan Dynasty to the Yongle and Xuande periods, with a style connecting the past and the future. The Yongle and Xuande periods were the golden age of the development of blue and white porcelain. During this period, Zheng He and his went to the West to bring back imported Sumali blue materials. The blue and white was bright in color and had black crystal spots. The utensils were rich in shape and had a wide variety of types.
Ming Hongwu Blue and white cloud dragon pattern disk
Ming Hongwu Blue and white cloud dragon pattern disk
height 3.6, diameter 19.1, base diameter 11.7 cm. Swinged mouth, shallow belly, flat bottom, ring foot. The body is fine and the glaze is plump and fine. The blue and white cloud patterns with smooth lines on the edge of the mouth are painted with smooth curly cloud patterns. The inner wall of the plate is printed with dark flower cloud dragon patterns, and the patterns are vivid and smooth. The inner bottom of the plate is in the center of the plate, and there are three "wind-belt-ruyi clouds" arranged in the shape of a font in the blue and white circles. The outer wall of the plate is painted with cloud dragon patterns. The blue and white color is light, with few dizziness, and the outer bottom is white glaze without style. Its decorative characteristics are consistent with the blue and white cloud dragon pattern fragments unearthed from the Nanjing Forbidden City site in 1964, and should be a typical tool during the Hongwu period.
Ming Yongle Blue and White Arabic Disc Block
Ming Yongle Blue and White Arabic Disc Block
Height 16.5, outer diameter 17.5, inner diameter 9.6 cm. The plate seat is the same size as the upper and lower, with a flat edge and a flat foot. The body of the vessel is axle, hollow and bottomless, with blue and white branches as the ground, with Arabic characters written on it, which roughly means "all things are not masters" and "praise to God", combining Chinese and Western styles, unique. The blue and white color is rich and deep, and is painted by imported cobalt material "Su Mali Qing". During the Yongle period, Zheng He went to the West to go to the West, and cultural exchanges between China and West Asia were growing increasingly. Not only did he bring back the imported blue and white materials, but the porcelain shapes also often borrowed from pottery and gold and silver ware from the West Asia region. This porcelain plate is very similar to the brass plate that is popular in West Asia, and has become a precious material evidence for studying cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
Ming Xuande Blue and White Cloud Dragon Pattern Tian Ball Bottle
Ming Xuande Blue and White Cloud Dragon Pattern Tian Ball Bottle
Height 46, diameter 9, bottom diameter 16 cm. The round mouth is slightly open, the straight neck is round, and the sand bottom is slightly concave. The body of the instrument is decorated with blue and white, with scroll branches painted near the edge of the mouth, cloud patterns painted on the neck, and a dragon on the abdomen. The dragon looks back, opens its mouth, sticks out its tongue, eyes are wide open, mane stands up, body is thick, limbs are strong, leaping between the clouds, lively and vivid. The celestial ball bottle is named because the bottle belly is round like a planet. It was burned in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, but the Yongle Tian Ball bottle is not signed. Some Xuande Tianqi Ball bottles have signed the stamps, while some do not. The decorative themes include blue and white cloud dragons, blue and white sea water white dragons, etc. This bottle has a rich and bright color in blue and white. It is painted with imported "Su Mali Qing Material". Because it has high iron content and low manganese content, the blue and white color after firing is thick and green, and iron-black spots appear on the glaze, which is very distinctive. The six-character regular script style "Made in the Xuande Period of the Ming Dynasty" is written on the horizontal edge of the instrument. It is extremely rare to pass on the world and is the best product of Xuande blue and white porcelain.
Orthodox~Tianshun blue and white porcelain
During this period, the historical records of porcelain development were vague and blank, so it was called "blank period". With the discovery of archaeological data, people have gained a new understanding of blank porcelain. It was found that it inherited the style of Xuande blue and white porcelain in the early stage, with bright blue and white hair color and dense layout; in the later stage, it was the first of Chenghua blue and white porcelain, with elegant blue and white hair color and sparse pattern layout.
Ming orthodox blue and white Qilin pattern jar
Ming orthodox blue and white qilin jaar
height 42.5, diameter 23, bottom diameter 22 cm. Lips, short neck, shoulders, unglazed sand bottom. The outer wall of the instrument is painted with blue and white patterns, the outer edge of the mouth is painted with flowers and brocade text, the shoulders are sea-water beast patterns, the belly is a kirin from the sky, and the upper part is a ferri cloud that is popular during the blank period. Against the backdrop of the high clouds and distant mountains, two groups of unicorns were seen flying in the wind, rushing towards them, majestic and majestic. The rocks, flying saucers and grass and trees at the foot of the Qilin are passing by, which further highlights the dynamic feeling of the picture. This jar has obvious style in the era, with blue and white porcelain being relatively rich and colorful, and has the legacy of the Ming Xuande period, which is basically preserved intact. The blank period was rare in porcelain, with mostly figures and flower patterns, and it is even rarer to use Qilin as theme patterns, so this large jar is also rare.
Tomorrow, blue and white characters story picture jar
Tomorrow, blue and white characters story picture jar
height 37.7, diameter 22.3, abdominal diameter 37.8, foot diameter 21.6 cm. Straight mouth and round lips, short neck, round shoulders and deep abdomen, concave and shallow and wide ring feet. The glaze of the tank is slightly thicker, with a wavy and drooping feeling, and the glaze color is also blue. The outer wall of the jar is covered with blue and white patterns, and five string patterns divide the jar into four strip-shaped patterns. Below the edge of the mouth is brocade text, and the shoulders are made of ball patterns as the shading pattern, and four groups of consecrated branches and flower patterns are interspersed with each other. The abdomen is painted with a picture of the scenery farewell, and the banana leaf pattern is painted at the close feet for one week. The bottom tire repair is slightly rough and there is flint redness. This jar has a huge shape, a thick body, a moist glaze, and a pure blue and white hair color, with a slight diffuse scattering. It uses simple outlines to depict the parting scenes of the characters in the picture vividly and vividly. It can be regarded as a masterpiece in the blue and white figures in the blank period of the Ming Dynasty.
Chenghua~Zhengde blue and white porcelain
Chenghua, Hongzhi . The Zhengde period was the stage of stable development of blue and white porcelain. The materials used in Chenghua and Hongzhi blue and white are made of domestic equal blue materials. The blue and white color is blue and gray, and the color is light and soft. During the Zhengde period, blue and white porcelain used gravel green and blue materials, and the blue and white colors also showed a variety of appearances, some were elegant and some were strong. The shapes are rich and the utensils are common in Arabic, which is the characteristic of this period.
Ming Chenghua Blue and White Four Beast Pattern Can
Ming Chenghua Blue and White Four Beast Pattern Can
Height 30, diameter 24.5, base diameter 14.7 cm. The lip-shaped orifice is slightly outward, with a short neck, a plump shoulder, a bulging belly, and a flat bottom and unglazed. The two-sided string pattern on the neck is painted for one round, the shoulder is decorated with Ruyi Yun head pattern, the upper part of the abdomen is decorated with lotus patterns, the lotus flowers are blooming, the branches and leaves are connected, and the brushwork is skillful and smooth. The abdomen's theme patterns are divided into four groups, painted with fire clouds, mountain stone peonies, double lions playing, and cave stone banana leaves. The legacy of the previous dynasty can still be seen from the painting method of Qilin. However, the double lion patterns decorate the common patterns used in the Chenghua period, and the sub-shaped cave stones are also quite in the style of the times. The sea water and river cliff patterns are painted close to the foot, which are patterned, without the surging momentum of Xuande. This jar is neatly renovated, with a white and fine body, glazed white and blue, thick and moist. The blue and white color is elegant, and the patterns and paintings fully express the style of the Chenghua period. What is even more rare is that the shape of the instrument is beautiful, which is an opposite example of the so-called "Chengkiln has no great instruments".
Ming Hongzhi Blue and white tangled lotus pattern gourd bottle
Ming Hongzhi Blue and white tangled lotus pattern gourd bottle
height 31.9, diameter 4.7, abdominal diameter 18.9, base diameter 11.2 cm. It looks like a gourd. The outer wall of the instrument is painted with blue and white patterns, with three layers of deformed lotus petals on the upper mouth, waist, and close to the feet. The bottle body is organically divided into two parts, both of which are wrapped in lotus patterns, and there are miscellaneous treasure patterns under the upper half. The interior is white glaze and the bottom is sandy. This bottle has regular shape, white body, thick glaze, and blue and white hair color, blue and gray hair color are typical hair color during this period. Because "gourd" and "fulu" are homophonic and have auspicious meanings, they were mostly burned in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.
Ming Zhengde Blue and White Immortal Story Picture of the Gourd Bottle
Ming Zhengde Blue and White Immortal Story Picture of the Gourd Bottle
Height 53, diameter 8.7, base diameter 17 cm.This gourd bottle has a rich pattern, with a back pattern on the edge of the upper abdomen and a eight-treasure pattern on the lotus; the theme is painted by the story of the fairyland in Yunting, including: the immortal viewing lotus, appreciating chrysanthemums, inscription of poems, and rushing to take the exam; the brocade text is painted at the waist. The lower abdomen is painted with "playing the flute to attract the phoenix", "taking the piano to visit friends", "refining alchemy to seek the Tao", "changing fish and dragons", etc., and the changes of lotus patterns on the other side are painted with close feet. This bottle has a delicate body, a lush glaze surface, a light blue and white hair color, a dense pattern layout, exquisite painting craftsmanship, vivid and vivid. Although it is not an official kiln product, it is comparable to it. It is a fine product of a folk kiln during the Zhengde period.
Article source: "Collector" 201909 "Appreciation of Ming Dynasty Blue and White Porcelain Collection in Tianjin Museum"
Author: Jin Ting
