Museum

Most extant cricket pots are datable to the Xuande (1426-1435), Longqing and Wanli (1573-1620) reigns, which suggests these emperors’ hobbies. The pot is decorated with the motif of a pair of dragons playing with a pearl on the lid and the exterior wall. A reign mark on the base reads “Made in the Longqing reign” (Da Ming Longqing nian zao). A notable nuance of the reign marks on most porcelain wares of imperial provenance datable to the Longqing reign use the character “manufacture” (zao) instead of made (zhi).

Eggplant-skin purple glazed porcelain wares were created during the early Ming dynasty. Although there were dark eggplant purple and light eggplant purple, the latter are rarely seen among extant works dating to the Ming dynasty, which makes the bowl here more precious. The design of dragon among clouds is a major characteristic of items of imperial provenance.

The Ming dynasty witnessed the manufacture of porcelain wares in Jingdezhen imitating the Song dynasty (960-1279) famous kiln wares. However, the extant works show that only the Xuande reign saw copies of the Ru wares, which is famous for its celadon glaze. The jar displayed here shows a pure sky-blue color after the Ru glaze, with the surface covered with tiny crackles. A six-character Xuande reign mark in underglazed cobalt blue glaze is inscribed on the base.

Among the extant porcelain wares, the earliest imitations of the Song dynasty Ge wares manufactured during the Ming dynasty are those dating to the Xuande reign made in Jingdezhen official kilns. Although the glaze is in close similarity to the Song dynasty Ge glaze, the “orange peel” pattern on the glaze surface reveals its provenance from the official kilns of the Xuande reign. The bowl displayed here is pale-grey glazed after a Ge ware, with a thick glaze layer covered with tiny crackles. A six-character Xuande reign mark is inscribed…

To make an iron-red vessel, the craftsman first coated the biscuit with transparent glaze, fired it at high temperature, and then painted iron-red glaze over the transparent glaze, re-fired the vessel at low temperatures. It is for this reason that such vessels are also known as “painted red” (mo hong) wares. With an easier firing technique, iron-red glazed porcelain wares had once replaced the copper-red glazed porcelain wares. Barely visible in cobalt blue, the ewer is painted with the motif of cranes and clouds beneath the transparent glaze. A six-character…

The watermelon-green glaze was created in the early Ming dynasty. The copper-based vitreous glaze shows the color of the watermelon peel at low-temperature firing environment. The most well known vessels with watermelon-green glaze were made in official kilns of Jingdezhen dating to the Jiajing reign. This zun vessel is green glazed with carved motifs of clouds and flying phoenixes beneath the glaze layer. A six-character Jiajing reign mark can be seen on the base.

The dark, rich blue glaze is also known as “sacrificial blue”, “accumulated blue”, or “sapphire blue”. Apart from monochrome blue color glazing, sky-clearing-blue porcelain wares are very often decorated with motifs in gold, or with carved or molded designs beneath the glaze layer. Manufactured in the official kiln of Jingdezhen and used in sacrificial ceremonies, the jar has two oxen painted in gold on the stomach and the contours of its two handles are rendered in gold as well.

Located in Dehua county of Fujian province, the Dehua kiln complex is celebrated for white porcelain wares that are characterized by fine quality and perfectly fused biscuit and glaze. White with luster, the xiao flute displayed here can produces lovely melodies.

Dehua Kiln is located in Dehua, Fujian province. The Dehua kiln complex is celebrated for white porcelain wares that are characterized by fine quality and perfectly fused biscuit and glaze. The incense burner is covered with translucent white glaze all over. The glaze is lustrous and has an ivory tint. Between the two bowstrings at the stomach is carved beneath the glaze layer with the kui-dragon pattern.

The Longquan kiln complex is located in Longquan city, Zhejiang province. Starting porcelain manufacture in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), Longquan kilns are famous for celadon wares. Coated in translucent greenish tint glaze, the zun vessel displayed here is designed after a pomegranate, and is carved with various kinds of interlocking floral motifs on the exterior wall. It is a masterpiece among the extant Longquan wares.

This is rare Song dynasty Guan ware kept in the collection of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) imperial family. Created in Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420), cup-and-saucer proliferated in the Song dynasty with many different styles. Kilns in both south and north China produced such wares. Used for drinking tea, it shows the popularity of tea as beverage at the time.

This six-sided flowerpot is decorated with paintings of pomegranates along its bottom edges with the character for “longevity” (shou) painted in between. The six faces all bear images that celebrate longevity. The figures are vivid and life-like; the brushwork is exquisite. This work is a fine example of Kangxi era large-sized polychrome porcelain.

While the mouth and neck portions of the vase are glazed in sky-clearing-blue and decorated with a familie rose gold pattern, the stomach is decorated with three groups of floral branches that alternate with verses by the Qianlong Emperor.

The Chinese word for gourd hu lu is a homophone of those for “fortune” (fu) and “wealth” (lu), thereby giving this vase auspicious implications. This gourd-shaped vase is decorated with lotus pattern in enamels on a yellow ground. The ellliptical reserved panels on the top depict landscape; while the crabapple-shaped reserved panels at the lower part depict a foreign woman with her child. The painting utilizes Western techniques of shading to show the three-dimensional effect.

Late Yongzheng-era enamel porcelain combined poetry, prose, painting and seals into one graceful work of art. The interior is glazed white while the exterior has a yellow ground decorated with a design of rocks and orchids. Opposite to the painting are the Yongzheng Emperor’s couplet inscription and three seals. The bowl is considered a masterpiece for its graceful shape and exquisite painting.

The interior of the bowl is glazed white while the exterior is decorated with an enamel painting of two plum trees, peonies in full bloom, and an inscribed poem that describes the beauty of early spring. The exquisite picture shows the remarkable skill and artistic taste of the court painter.

This covered bowl imitates the lacquer ware. The work is comprised of a chrysanthemum-shaped body and a bulging lid with a circular handle. A poem by the Qianlong emperor is inscribed on the interior of the lid. The bowl faithfully imitates the appearance of cinnabar lacquer. It was used as a teacup. The Qianlong Emperor loved drinking tea very much. He often composed poems on tea. Many pieces of porcelain teaware bear the emperor’s inscriptions.

This flower pot and the matching stand are circular in shape with white glazed interiors and light yellow exteriors decorated with familie rose banana plants, peonies, and pines. The exterior bottom bears an inscription that indicates the work was made for the Hall of Harmonious Conduct (Tihe dian), the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi took her meals.s.

The washer (xi) had two functions: one was a washing vessel like a basin; the other was a brush washer in the scholar’s studio. This vessel is a brush washer. Proto-porcelain, which has a glaze of greenish tinge, appeared during the Shang dynasty. Developing from stoneware with pressed decor, it was a transitional product between pottery to porcelain which developed from hard ceramics with pressed decoration.

Often coated with yellow or green glaze, phoenix-head vases were very popular in the Liao dynasty. Phoenix-head vase was not indigenous Chinese invention, but introduced from west Asia. There were similar wares dating to the Tang dynasty (618-907), which doubtlessly set the example for the subsequent Liao dynasty phoenix-head porcelain vases.

People used to consider this kind of red and green glazed vessels were made in the Song dynasty (960-1279). But as more and more similar wares were excavated from Jing dynasty tombs but scarcely any from Song dynasty tombs, people changed their mind. Red and green glazed wares usually took the shape of small bowls. The craftsmen painted motifs in red and green on the white glaze and later fired the vessel at low temperatures.

The vase is decorated with black colored animals, presenting a lively living scene. Craftsmen vividly depicted naughty monkey, vigilant deer and flying wild geese.

The Jin dynasty witnessed development in north China kilns including Cizhou kiln, Ding kiln, Jun kiln, and Yaozhou kiln. Typical vessels of that period include tiger-shaped pillow from Cizhou kiln, vessels with stamped design from Ding kiln, and moon-white glazed porcelain of Yaozhou kiln.

The long and short horizontal strokes on the outer wall of the incense burner are Daoist symbols–the eight trigrams for divining the future. The lotus is popularly known as “Buddhism flower”. Lotus petals were popular motifs for decoration in Buddhist culture. These decoration motifs on the incense burner reflect people’s religious believes at that time.

This ding tripod is tall and of simple structure, which is quite rare among Yuan dynasty porcelain wares. Curves at the stomach and the feet elegantly draw contrast to the straight lines below the mouth rim.

The jar is decorated with five cobalt blue patterns from the mouth rim to the bottom. The most notable one is the central design featuring dragons among clouds. Typical of the Yuan dynasty, the dragon has a small head, thin neck, long body and three-claw paw, looking ferocious.

This vessel is decorated with underglze-red motif and incised patterns. The red motif is bright but has blur outlines, reflecting the characteristics of underglaze-red wares in early Yuan dynasty.

Special in shape, the flask is embedded with strong nomadic characteristics. The design of dragon among clouds shows the quality and artistic style of the underglaze-red porcelain in the early period of the Yuan dynasty.

Regarding the very few surviving red-glazed porcelain wares dating to the Yuan dynasty, this dish, with beautiful red glaze color and clear stamped design, is doubtlessly a real masterpiece. The success in firing copper-red glazed porcelain wares in the Yuan dynasty is significant in the history of making colored-glazed porcelain. It paved the way for producing bright-red glazed porcelain wares in the subsequent Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

Jun kiln site ais located int Yuzhou city, Henan province This vase bears purple-red spots on its moon-white glaze, like clouds floating in the sky. The craftsman did it randomly but somehow achieved a very artistic style. Originally used as a wine container, the prunus vase was designed with a cover. However, as time went by, most of those vases lost their covers. Among the very few surviving prunus vases from the Jun kiln, this one with its cover intact is very precious.

Jun kiln is located in site at Yuzhou city, Henan province. This is a typical Jun ware. The moon-white glaze is smooth with luster. The dark clay color can be seen through thin glaze in some areas. Curvy lines, known as “earthworm marks”, are clearly shown in the glaze, one of the characteristics of the Jun wares.

Pengcheng Kiln is located in Handan, Hebei province. Pengcheng kiln was one of the centers for manufacturing porcelain wares with black motifs on a white ground in Hebei province. Large numbers of porcelain wares of diverse shapes were made here. This vase is decorated with black landscape scene in reserved panels on the stomach. A rarely seen fine vessel from this type of kiln.

Adorned with a painting of a squirrel scampering through a lush tangle of grape vines, this blue-and-white painted-bowl is fresh in color and lively in its brushwork. This beautiful Guangxu-era work imitates the style of early-Qing Kangxi-era porcelain.

This vase has a garlic-shaped body with butter-like luster. The wavy surface adds a touch of elegance to the steady vase.

Longquan kiln is located in Longquan, Zhejiang province. When the washer is filled with water, the four fish seem swimming freely in a pond. Located in Longquan county of Zhejiang province, the Longquan kiln was the largest non-official kiln complex in south China during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan dynasties. Longquan wares were exported to many countries including Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, and Egypt. Here is a case in point: Among some 17,000 porcelain wares datable to the Yuan dynasty recovered from a sunken vessel under the sea…

Invented during the late Kangxi era, the enameling on porcelain was created by applying copper enameling on a vase prior to firing. Enamel porcelain was produced exclusively for the enjoyment of the imperial family as production was tightly controlled. The cup’s interior is left unadorned while the exterior color scheme is rich and varied.

Kangxi Reign (1662-1722), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) The interior of the bowl is unadorned while the exterior bears yellow glaze and enamel decorations of green pine trees and rocks with a peony and chrysanthemum pattern. The design is neat and exquisite while the colors are bright and eye-catching. Enamel porcelain was produced exclusively for court use. Only a small quantity was made and passed down through the generations.

While the interior of the cup is unadorned, the exterior is glazed yellow. While one side is adorned with a plum tree and two branches of pear flowers, the other side bears a five-word verse. Although Yongzheng-era enamel porcelain was usually made from unadorned moulds, this cup followed Kangxi-era enamel style.

Qianlong Reign (1736-1795), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Late Qianlong-era enamel arts frequently have a ground of floral motifs that imitate metalwork. While the interior of the vase is glazed green, its exterior is decorated with gold linework. Symmetrical elephant ear-shape handles adorn either side of the vessel. A rosette pattern covers a ground of white and gold floral pattern with a luxurious and splendid effect.

The vase is composed by two portions. On the rouge-red and blue grounds, a pattern of flowering branches was created by a metal tool press-rolled on a glazed surface. “Rolled designs” (ya dao) was an innovation of the Qianlong era. This vase also has copper enameling. This kind of craftsmanship is very time consuming. Official court records show that this type of vessel was called “adding flowers to brocade” or “silk tree vase”.

Rouge is a type of enamel color that is opaque, shiny, and is fired at a low temperature. The exterior of this vase is painted in rouge with an image of a bucolic landscape. The dense glazes are shiny and bright, protruding slightly from the surface. This work was done by a skilled court painter, evident in the scene’s clear sense of distance and depth in accordance to atmospheric changes. The brushwork is exquisite with a strong sense of three-dimensionality.

Familie rose porcelain was an innovation of the late Kangxi era that combined enamel and polychrome. The exterior wall of the bowl is decorated with a painting of flowering branches and butterflies. While the brushwork is succinct and colors are unctious, the color range lacks variety and reveals the immaturity of the familie rose technique at this stage.

Yongzheng Reign (1723-1735), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) The bottom of the plate bears a painting of a peach tree that zigzags along the edge of the plate and extends to the exterior walls. The tree has nine branches: six on the interior, three on the exterior. A few red bats flying around the branches signify auspicious blessings. This kind of vessel on which the decoration extends from the interior to the exterior surface is commonly called “crossing flower branch”.

Coral red glaze is a premixed glaze that is painted on top of a finely textured white body and fired at a low temperature to create a uniformly glazed body. The name of the glaze attained its name from a hint of yellow in its red hue, similar to actual coral. Adorned with familie-rose peony branches, this Yongzheng-era vase was considered precious and was used only for decoration.

Ewers with a chicken head and a dragon-shaped handle appeared in the late period of the Eastern Jin (317-420). Some also have a bear motif on the handle. During the Southern dynasty (420-589), the chicken-head spout turned from a round shape into a thin tall one, and the neck of the chicken is taller, with a cockscomb standing out. The handle is longer as well.