Chinese Qianlong and Earlier Ceramics
The Portuguese were the first Europeans into China in any meaningful numbers with
Vasco de Gama leading the charge in 1498. However, rare pieces of Chinese
porcelain did make it to these shores overland along Arabic trade routes a century
before this.
The British and Dutch who eventually became the main players in the China Trade
were slower off the mark and it was another century before the formation of the
Honourable East India Company of London in 1600 and the Vereenigde Oost-Indische
Compagnie (VOC) in 1602.
A Celadon glazed dish.
Whilst there are distinctive groups, such as the Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty
burial wares (unglazed and cold painted and primarily figural), Celadon
wares (pale green glazed), Blanc de Chine (white glazed predominantly figural
and made at Dehua) and Yixing (predominantly unglazed red ware primarily
tea wares) and the 'so called' Provincial porcelain (blue and white and intended
for local trade), the vast majority of porcelain familiar to Western eyes was made
under the Imperial supervision of the Ming and Qing dynasties
at Jingdezhen. There is a further sub-group known as Cantonese porcelain
(made in Jingdezhen but profusely decorated at Guangzhou).
A Doucai bowl.
The earliest Ming Wares were decorated with under glaze blue on white with
the appearance of pictorial subjects rather than a reliance on glaze colour.
The first coloured wares appeared during the reign of Chenghua (1465-87)
and are referred to as Doucai (meaning joined colours). They consisted
of a pencilled outline in under glaze blue filled with translucent colours.
An example of the Wucai palette.
Towards the latter end of the Ming Dynasty, the Wucai (meaning five colours)
palette usually red, yellow and green, with under glaze blue on a white ground became
popular, reaching its peak of popularity during the reign of Wanli (1573-1699).
A pair of Famille Verte vases.
In the early years of the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722),
the Famille Verte (green family) and Doucai palette had a resurgence of
popularity with the Famille Rose (pink family) palette finding favour during
the prolific years of Yongzheng (1723-35) and Qianlong (1736-95).
Whilst various colour spectrums fell in and out of popularity under glaze blue decoration
on white maintained a consistent appeal through out.
A Famille Rose mug.
Specialists
 | Nic Saintey
Department Head
|  | Andrew Thomas
Ceramics and Glass Expert
|