Chinese Porcelain Research Articles

Monsoon Winds and Ming Porcelains: Chinese Ceramics and Their Reception in Early Modern South Asia

Abstract This essay will explore the arrival, acquisition, and reception of Chinese ceramics within early modern South Asia, with a focus on the Mughal dynasty (r. 1526–1857) courtly context. The first step in placing South Asian ceramic collecting practices within the broader historical and geographic circulation of porcelains in the Gulf and Indian Ocean worlds is understanding the breadth and nature of South Asian collections. While the Safavid porcelain collections donated by Shah Abbas to Ardabil, and the massive Chinese porcelain collection of the Ottoman courts held today in Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace are well known and relatively well published, the Chinese ceramic collections of South Asia have received less scholarly attention. Fresh material presented here includes new evidence of the extent of multi-generational Mughal interactions with, and interest in, Chinese ceramics. The broader question to be addressed is how these porcelains were perceived, utilized, and displayed in the South Asian context. Considering textual evidence, contemporary paintings, extant architecture, archaeological finds, and surviving inscribed objects, this essay will argue that Mughal porcelain collections should be understood within the context of their broader collecting activities, and in relation to the porcelain collections and displays of their Timurid ancestors.

Porcelain Tea Set Inspired by The Dragon Boat Festival

Hile porcelain making is a symbol of the blend of tradition and modernity, the production of porcelain brings about a dynamic growth in the aspect of sustainability and cultural preservation. The goal of this research is to produce an innovative porcelain tea set with elements of the Dragon Boat Festival. This tea set will combine traditional designs with eco-friendly manufacturing methods and a modern look and feel. Chinese porcelain is counted as the symbol of the most significant meaning of trade on the ground of its delicate processing, which has been the heritage of ancient China. Incorporating dragons and auspicious symbols in porcelain artwork, vessels go beyond being solely decorative items to portray notions of power, wealth, and harmony. The establishment of the newest porcelain manufacturing technology based on ethical standards allow to move toward a green future. The use of eco-friendly materials and technologies with effective waste control strategies helps in the reduction of negative impacts on the environment. This is concurrent with consumers' demand for environment-friendly solutions. Additionally, these positive impacts span the whole supply chain bringing employment, prosperity and climate resilience to communities. This research wishes to add to the ongoing conversation around sustainability in the porcelain industry, concentrating on the interplay between tradition, innovation and environmental responsibility in product development and manufacture.

Non-Invasive Raman Classification Comparison with pXRF of Monochrome and Related Qing Porcelains: Lead-Rich-, Lead-Poor-, and Alkali-Based Glazes.

Chinese porcelain with an optically clear colored glaze, imported to Europe from the Kangxi period (1662-1722, Qing Dynasty) onwards was highly collected by the French Elite of the 18th century. The bright colors with a clear, shiny glaze were unlike anything produced in Europe at that time. The colors of enamelled artifacts (on biscuits or already glazed porcelain) can be fully monochrome or consist of associations of large monochromatic areas with or without application of gilding. Non-invasive portable XRF and mobile Raman analyses have previously shown their effectiveness in the characterization of (colored) glassy silicates. In this study, we compare the Raman signatures of twenty-one Chinese artifacts fully-or with major monochrome area (sancai)-decorated with blue, turquoise (or celectian blue), honey-yellow, green, eggplant, and red color. Different types of glazes are identified and confirmed by pXRF: lead-rich, lead-poor-alkali, lead-doped alkali, and alkali-based compositions. However, an unexpected low level of lead is observed in the turquoise glazes, likely to optimize the gloss. Raman spectroscopy appears more reliable to compare the Pb content than pXRF. This work presents Raman spectral signatures of glazes that can potentially be used for non-invasive object classification and counterfeit detection.

Non-invasive analyze of boron and lithium in 18th century Chinese porcelain enamel and glaze: A PIXE/PIGE study

In enamelling technology, the natural (raw) materials used before the middle of the 19th century combine by nature different elements whose role in the process can be important even in small quantities. Some of these elements – particularly boron, lithium – are difficult to measure non-invasively and are therefore rarely analyzed. Boron and lithium, often used as additional flux in glazes, were quantified by PIXE and PIGE analysis with the extracted beam of the New AGLAE facility in 18th century porcelains samples, French soft-paste from the Manufacture royale de Sèvres and Chinese hard-paste from the reign of the Qing dynasty. The results were compared to previous conclusions made using SEM/EDS and pXRF in order to assert the presence of boron, previously suspected by Raman microspectroscopy, and to detect the presence of lithium, both provided by a particular flux (borax), mentioned in the historical French and Chinese enamel recipes.

Detection and recognition of Chinese porcelain inlay images of traditional Lingnan architectural decoration based on YOLOv4 technology

With the rapid development of machine learning technology, it has become possible to automatically identify cultural heritage elements in traditional buildings. This research aimed to develop a machine learning model based on the YOLOv4 architecture to identify the traditional Chinese porcelain inlay pattern in the Lingnan region. The researchers collected and annotated a large quantity of Lingnan Chinese porcelain inlay image data and then used these data to train the studied model. The research results show that (1) the model in this study was specifically adjusted to effectively identify a variety of Chinese porcelain inlay pattern types, including traditional patterns such as plum blossoms and camellias. (2) In the 116th epoch, the model showed excellent generalization ability, and the verification loss reached the lowest value of 0.88. The lowest training loss in the 195th epoch was 0.99, indicating that the model reached an optimal balance point for both recognition accuracy and processing speed. (3) By comparing different models for detecting Chinese porcelain inlay images across 581 pictures, our YOLOv4 model demonstrated greater accuracy in most classification tasks than did the YOLOv8 model, especially in the classification of chrysanthemums, where it achieved an accuracy rate of 87.5%, significantly outperforming YOLOv8 by 58.82%. However, the study also revealed that under certain conditions, such as detecting apples and pears in low-light environments, YOLOv8 showed a lower missing data rate, highlighting the limitations of our model in dealing with complex detection conditions.

The earliest stamped hard pottery and high-firing technology dating back to 5000 BP: Evidence from two sites in southeastern China

This study focuses on the technological origin of stamped hard pottery, one of the precursors to Chinese porcelain, developed in the Late Neolithic period of China. 160 ceramic sherds of stamped hard wares from the Nanshan site (5300–4300 cal. BP) and Yanzaidong site (5000–4300 cal. BP) were investigated through water absorption, Vickers hardness, petrography, ED-XRF, thermodilatometry, XRD, and SEM-EDS. The results indicate that two categories of samples exhibit commendable physical properties, comparable to stoneware, attributed to specific high-alumina clay with low fluxing elements (porcelain stone), fired at high temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1250 °C. The other categories of samples appear to be defective products during firing process, or have another raw material source, contributing to a diversity of pottery at the two sites. Nanshan and Yanzaidong unequivocally emerge as the earliest known production of stamped hard pottery, dating back to 5000 cal. BP, marking a revolutionary advancement in high-firing technology during the Late Neolithic China.

Christian Iconography on Ming and Qing Chinese Porcelain: Religious Influence and Artistic Hybridization

Since the arrival of Christian missionaries in China through maritime trade networks, missionary activities have been changing from the 16th century to the 18th century. Christian missionaries faced numerous challenges stemming from cultural context and religious policies in China. Throughout history, various religious strategies have been employed to address these challenges. The use of Chinese porcelain to depict Christian imagery holds significant importance. The present study is focused on four representative Chinese porcelains dating from the Ming to Qing dynasties, each associated with specific phases of Christianity in China. Examining the connections between the Christian mission in China and Christian iconography on Chinese porcelain leads to the conclusion that the visual culture associated with the Christian mission in China is influenced by and reflects intercultural or interreligious dialogue with mutual understanding. In the meantime, it signifies an intricate process of interaction, appropriation, hybridization, and adaptation, through which Christian iconography gained new significance on Chinese porcelain.

Influences Between Chinese Ming and Qing Dynasty Porcelain and European Rococo Style

The porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties had an extensive and profound mutual influence on the European Rococo art style. The content of this research paper includes the origin of the Rococo style and the influence of the Rococo style on Chinese porcelain from the introduction of the Kangxi Dynasty to the prosperous Qianlong period. The Rococo art style extensively utilizes decorative elements and techniques of Chinese porcelain, reflecting the importance of Chinese porcelain influences on the Rococo art style. This study fills the gap in research on the historical process and artistic techniques of the mutual influence between Chinese Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain and European Rococo style by building on more information about the connections of trade between China and Europe in ceramics and the collection of Chinese style ceramics and Rococo style ceramics by European and Ming and Qing Chinese royalties back in the 18th century. Elucidating the deep influence and development of different cultural exchanges provides a new perspective and value for studying the mutual inspiration of Chinese and Western art.

Study on the Historical Evolutionary Path of Chinese Ceramic Technology Based on Data Mining

Abstract Ancient Chinese porcelain occupies an important position in Chinese cultural relics, and the development process of ceramics in various periods has played a great role in promoting the development of society. To explore the historical evolution path of Chinese ceramic technology, this paper proposes a data mining approach. The first step is to list the data mining tools, and then a distributed data crawler is deployed to crawl textual information related to Chinese ceramics in the Cultural Collection by defining keywords related to Chinese porcelain. Then, the incomplete data duplication, semantic ambiguity, and low-value and unclear pointing information that existed in the original text data were deleted. By setting thresholds and sorting, keywords with higher weights were filtered after scanning the cleaned texts. To compare data from different periods and subjects, the data was normalized. Correlation analysis was used to extract historical changes in Chinese ceramic technology in the time dimension, and then the components of ceramics in the historical evolution were analyzed by K-mean-based principal component analysis. Ceramic manufacturing technology mainly developed during the Five Dynasties and Two Songs, formed during the Yuan Dynasty, matured during the Ming Dynasty, flourished during the Qing Dynasty, and declined during the Republic of China. The first six principal components were extracted because their cumulative variance contribution exceeded 85%. In detail, the samples were divided into four categories according to each principal component, and the classification results reflect the differences in the content of pottery-making raw materials. Side by side, it reflects that pottery-making technology is changing with the advancement of history.

Non-Invasive On-Site XRF and Raman Classification and Dating of Ancient Ceramics: Application to 18th and 19th Century Meissen Porcelain (Saxony) and Comparison with Chinese Porcelain

The authentication and dating of rare ceramics is generally carried out using subjective criteria, mainly based on visual interpretation. However, the scientific study and evaluation of the materials used could contribute objectively. The analytical data relating to the major and minor elements of the coloring agents of the decoration or the base marks, and the characteristics of the raw materials (related to geology and ore processing), can be obtained on the conservation site non-invasively using a pXRF instrument and the phases formed may be identified using Raman microspectroscopy. This approach is applied to 28 objects assigned to the production of the Meissen Factory, from the collection of the Musée National de Céramique, Cité de la Céramique, Sèvres. They have polychromic or blue-and-white decorations and are supposed to have been produced in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some have a production date that has been perfectly established, others may have been produced using an earlier mold, or even have been decorated on an unknown date different from that of the firing of the biscuit. The combination of several classification criteria concerning the type of glaze, previously identified in the study of French and Chinese 17th and 18th centuries productions, i.e., the elements associated with cobalt present in the mark or the blue decoration and the relative levels of impurities of the glaze matrix, both characteristic of the raw materials and giving a strong XRF signal, leads to the identification of groups of homogeneous objects (respectively, counting seven, three, two and two objects for which at least four out of five criteria are identical); the other objects present too many differences to be considered as having been produced with the same raw materials. The first group brings together almost all the objects with a reliable pedigree made before ~1750, but includes two objects with decoration types closer to those of the 1800s. The comparison of the pXRF signals confirms the possibility of identifying the use of European ingredients for the production of painted enamels in the Qing dynasty.

Китайский фарфор из русских памятников Омского Прииртышья XVII–XVIII веков в археолого-историческом контексте Западной Сибири

The archaeological study of Russian sites of the Modern age on the territory of Western Siberia is currently one of the steadily developing areas in Russian historical science. Representative materials on various aspects of the material culture of Russian Siberians have been accumulated. The written sources 17th–19th centuries it is in conditions of fragmented so the archaeological sources are the basis for studying certain categories of artifacts that have social and cultural significance. These include, in particular, Chinese porcelain dishes. In the Omsk Irtysh region, as part of the Western Siberian macroregion, three Russian archeological sites of the 17th–18th centuries have now been well studied: the Tara fortress, Ananino-I and Izyuk-I, and Chinese porcelain has been find on all of them. This paper examines the prerequisites for the appearance of this type of product in the region; the available materials are analyzed in a chronological and artistic-technological context, analogies with other Russian archeological sites of Western Siberia are given; written sources containing information about the use of this type of utensils by the population of the region are considered. This made it possible to determine the place of Chinese porcelain in the pottery complex and its potential as a dating source for the cultural layers of Russian settlements in Western Siberia during the specified period.

Contemporary ceramic art of China: a look from the perspective of the art market

The object of this research is contemporary Chinese art in the context of the latest trends in the development of the global and national art market. The subject of the study is the problem of underestimation of modern ceramic art in China and its potential from the standpoint of the art market. The history of the issue is considered, the analysis of the main directions of research development in this subject area is carried out. In addition, the article clarifies the existing concept of "modern ceramic art" in China. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the most significant modern objects of Chinese ceramics presented in the domestic art market of the country. The features of the artistic originality of the masters Li Jiusheng, Wang Silyan, Zhang Songmao, Guo Aihe are revealed. The scientific novelty of the research is connected with the development of ideas about the modern ceramic art of China, its role in the modern art market, both at the national and international levels. For the first time, the criteria for the demand for modern porcelain are revealed; the idea is stated that the problem of collecting modern Chinese ceramics remains on the periphery of scientific discourse. A special contribution is the establishment and justification of the artistic value of a number of works carried out for the first time in science, which were sold at various auctions for fabulous money. The main conclusions of the study are the following. Currently, the development of the art market indicates that experts are beginning to realize the artistic value of modern Chinese ceramics art. The greatest interest among collectors is aroused by works in the spirit of "ceramic painting" with the use of modern technologies that allow expanding the expressive possibilities of painting on porcelain. The boom in collecting modern Chinese porcelain, observed since the beginning of the XXI century, testifies to the high level of artistic execution of objects of modern ceramic art in China, as well as such qualities as innovation and non-standardness in terms of choosing themes, visual effects, expression of the author's idea, rethinking academic traditions.

Cross-Cultural Encounters: Religious Motifs in Lattimo Glass from China to Italy

This paper focuses on lattimo glass, also known as milk glass, and analyzes the influence of Chinese porcelain on its creation in Venice through the study of its transmission path and revival. It also explores the role of religion in the glass trade between China and Italy from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, with a particular focus on religious iconography. By relying on previous research on the religious iconography of glass during this period and analyzing precious glass objects, this paper aims to examine the brief popularity and decline of lattimo glass as an imitation of Chinese Ming porcelain in the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries, as well as the significance and impact of religious iconography on lattimo glass during the eighteenth century. The paper approaches the process of the introduction of Chinese aesthetics in Europe during this period from three angles: the origin of lattimo glass, the cross-media imitation and innovation of Chinese religious iconography, and cultural interaction. This process highlights the crucial role of influential religious imagery in the formation of cross-cultural communication.

Compositional Organisation in 17th- and 18th-Century Chinese Porcelain Paintings: Specifics and Principles

Compositional Organisation in 17th- and 18th-Century Chinese Porcelain Paintings: Specifics and Principles

Bleus de Huê: blue-and-white wine bottles in the context of vietnamese cobalt ceramics history

One of the most significant types of Vietnamese ceramics are the vessels decorated in the technique of underglazecobalt painting, known as Bleus de Hu. The article provides a brief history of the appearance of blue-and-white pottery in Vietnam, identifies the heyday and the most widespread distribution of this type of art and the formation of local centers for the production of ceramics and the export of Chinese porcelain to the Vietnamese market.
 On the example of these wine bottles, the typology of the main functional forms, variants of artistic design and the symbolism of the decoration of products of the XVIII early XX centuries are revealed. The relevance of the article is determined by the lack of research on this topic in the Russian-language literature.

Analysis of Aesthetic Features of Official Kilns in Song Dynasty

The Chinese Porcelain art burgeoned during the Song Dynasty, particularly under emperor Huizong’s rule. Within the era, the official kiln was known for its exquisite quality and the fascinating philosophical thoughts underpinning the art pieces’ unique aesthetic features. This paper analyzes and portrays the aesthetic outlooks of the official kilns, examining the philosophy, form, textures, colors, production details, and the influences of the art. Sources of the analysis will be derived from different literature, including Mandarin and Western. The findings of this paper suggest that the Celadon art, particularly the official kiln, is an art form that stems from the particular political situation of the Song era, with the art form’s development comprised of the combined intellectual thoughts of the Song artists and literati. In addition, not only has the official kilns evolved from its previous art forms, which originated as early as the Han Dynasty but also carried on its influences on future art forms even until the modern period.

From traditional to continental to inter-continental and back in search of the roots: A culinary journey of the typical Malayalee

Identity, culture, tradition, and heritage define our basic food habits. From tapioca and fish curry served on a leaf platter; cold rice and mango pickle served in an earthen pot; black coffee with jaggery served in a porcelain cup; fish wrapped in a banana leaf and barbequed in firewood; the Malayalee shifted his palate to the taste of the neighbouring state's idli, sambhar and vada; to the North Indian dishes, Mughalai dishes, continental, and inter-continental dishes served in steel plates to Chinese porcelain to western crockery. But after savouring dishes pan world, the typical Malayalee is back in search of his roots. This paper aims to delineate that search and identify the various traditional dishes now understood to be healthy, and tasty and anchoring the community to the roots of food culture. This study involves an in-depth observation and analysis of food culture, identity, heritage, cooking techniques and ingredients used. The change in the culinary aspects of a typical Malayalee's life is understood and his search back to his roots is portrayed through this article. Therefore, this study highlights the gastronomical journey of the Malayalee to the traditional roots of Kerala cuisine in the modern age of globalization. The Valorisation of established classic dishes from the margins to the table top of the finest restaurants is also analysed.

Chinese Porcelain Culture in Ceramic Courses of Universities

Chinese Porcelain Culture in Ceramic Courses of Universities

本·瓊生喜劇《艾潑辛或沉默女人》中的「中國屋」隱喻

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Britain’s strong desire for luxury goods such as Chinese porcelain triggered an active participation in the early global trade. Ben Jonson was one of the English Renaissance playwrights who highly mentioned China and Chinese porcelain in his works. In his London comedy Epicene, or The Silent Woman, the “China House” where Chinese porcelain is displayed and sold, has taken on multiple metaphorical connotations, and become essential to understand the urban life of London in the Jacobean era. With a focus on “China House” as three metaphors, such as the booming commercial trade, a famous fashion center as well as the social Vanity Fair, this paper aims to reveal Jonson’s ambivalent attitudes towards London’s commercialism in the context of the early global trade.

Insights into the Residue Trapped in Glaze Cracks of Archaeological Ceramics Using Microchemical Analysis.

Searching for residue in the glaze of porcelain or stoneware is a difficult task because these glazes are high-fired, well vitrified, and nonporous. This paper analyzes the chemical composition of residue observed in glaze cracks of porcelain via SEM-EDS to determine how the crackle effect was produced, in particular, if it was intentionally created during production or the result of post-depositional processes. This study offers insights to a specific type of ancient Chinese porcelain called “Ge-type ware”, which has two different types of cracks, and whose origin has been debated for nearly 60 years because it has never been found at any kiln site. This paper analyzes the chemical composition of the two crack types, first using elemental mapping to ascertain the different mechanisms that produced these two crack types of the Heirloom Ge ware, and second using residue analysis and chemical fingerprinting to determine the provenance of this puzzling type of porcelain. In doing so, this paper demonstrates how the residue in the glaze of porcelain can be observed and analyzed via microchemical approaches and hopes to inspire more research using this technique in future.