During this period, the palette developed to include clear greens, with enamels of other colours used for decoration.Īround the end of the Kangxi period, famille rose, or 'pink family' enamels, were introduced in China. Composed largely of opaque white and pink enamels derived from colloidal gold, introduced through the Jesuits serving at the Qing court, this new palette became very popular during the subsequent Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. Later in the Kangxi period, Wucai wares evolved to become what Western scholars now refer to as famille verte, French for 'the green family'.
'It was then fired a second time with the overglazed decoration, which featured a variety of colours including red, green, blue, yellow and purple.' 'Because blue enamel did not exist during the Ming dynasty, Wucai porcelain was made by glazing ceramic pieces after they had been fired once, with underglazed cobalt blue decoration,' Chang notes. Wucai, meaning 'five colours', originally referred to porcelain decorated in a palette of five colours dating from the Ming period (1368-1642), especially during the reign of emperors Jiajing (1522-66) and Wanli (1573-1619). Blue and white ware was first exported to Europe in the 17th century by the Dutch East India Company, sparking a craze for the style and spawning a number of imitations, such as the ubiquitous Willow pattern.
Cobalt blue - considered a precious commodity - was imported from Persia by Muslim traders, and many of these early wares show the influence of Islamic decoration. Kangxi pieces are valued for their light body, vibrant blue colour, and style of painting which Chang describes as ‘more controlled and very refined’. ‘Many consider pieces from the Kangxi period, during the Qing dynasty, to be the best,’ says the specialist, ‘but the Yuan (1279–1368 AD) and Ming (1368–1644 AD) blue and white ceramics also have great historic, aesthetic and monetary value.’ 'Blue and white consists of a cobalt-blue underglaze decoration, laid over the white porcelain body, while the glaze is actually transparent,’ says Chang.īeginning in the 9th century and stretching far into the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), the style is perhaps the most popular of Chinese ceramics and is featured on some of the world’s most valuable pieces. The term ‘blue and white’ encompasses a wide range of styles that all employ blue and white decoration, explains Jessica. The first Chinese ceramics - handbuilt earthenware pots - date back tens of thousands of years to the Palaeolithic period, but it was not until the Sui and Tang dynasties (581–907 AD) that technology developed sufficiently for craftsmen to be able to produce uniform vessels on the wheel and colourful glazes in the kiln. 'The glaze is also very pleasing to the eye, so even though porcelain doesn't have that issue of porosity, it is still applied for decorative effect,' notes Chang. Glazes were originally used for practical reasons because many stoneware and earthenware pots were too porous to act as containers, but aesthetics also played a part. See below for all upcoming Chinese ceramics offered at Christie’s Glazes can be applied to the ceramic bodies either before or after firing - techniques known respectively as underglaze and overglaze decoration.
These additions include copper, aluminium and other ingredients that can affect the glaze’s viscosity, colour and texture. The most important ingredient in the glaze is silica, and the variations in type depend on the addition of other materials.’ 'Glaze can be used as a colourant, as decoration or to waterproof ceramic. ‘In general, glaze is an impervious layer or glass-like coating which is applied to a ceramic body, then fused through firing,' explains specialist Jessica Chang.
Chinese ceramics vary greatly in their glazes and decoration, and the many technical terms involved can be daunting for collectors who are new to the category.