CHINESE CERAMICS



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Pottery making began during prehistoric time in China. In fact, the Neolithic pottery discovered in the 1920's is the earliest form of Chinese art known today. The first pottery made were from the Yangshao culture which is considered the beginning of Chinese civilization. They made wide-bellied, narrowed-necked burial jars with the upper halves of the jars painted in red and black. There were also spirals, zigzags, and waves designs on the upper halves of the jars. In the Longshao culture, black pottery were made on wheel. The wheel allowed these people to make the body of the pottery thinner, which consequently made the pottery lighter. The people of the Shang (1523-1027 B.C.) and Zhou (1122-256 B.C.) dynasties used ceramic pottery for everyday use, while reserving bronze pottery for worshipping the gods. It was during the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) that the Chinese developed the world's first porcelain, which was thinner than previous ceramics and made possible because of the high-temperature, large ovens called "kilns". The people of the Tang dynasty produced the fine pottery known as "San Cai" (tri-color).

However, it is the Song dynasty (960-1276) that is the most important dynasty in Chinese art. This dynasty is considered the classic age of Chinese ceramics. It is famous for its monochrome ceramics. Although the Tang dynasty also made monochrome ceramics, it wasn't until the Song dynasty that they became well appreciated. Most of the Song bowls and vases had decoration often incised or impressed under the glazes. The famous Song wares include the ivory-white Ding ware, the jadelike celadon used for official and commercial purposes throughout China, the sky-blue Ru ware made for the imperial court of Huizong, the Jun ware with the varying blue of its thick glaze often with a touch of purple added to it. The names of the wares signify the sites of the kilns (ovens for pottery making).

Unlike most of the Song wares, the most important Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) wares were porcelain rather than stoneware. The Ming dynasty is famous for its blue-and-white ceramic pieces . The potters of the blue-and-white ware mastered the method of painting with cobalt underneath a transparent glaze, and their decorative skills escalated to the highest refinement and complexity, therefore, leading to the exportation of their products both eastward and westward. These blue-and-white ware had immense influence on European and Near Eastern wares.

During the Qing dynasty, new monochrome such as red and yellow were developed and also a beautiful range of multicolored overglaze enamels. The colors were sharp and intense. Bright orange pieces were made during this dynasty. From the 18th century on, potters of this dynasty decorated their porcelains in rose pink, black, and pastel green.

Chinese ceramics are beautiful art pieces to look at. There is a large variety of styles and colors and shapes for collectors to choose from. In fact, many of the Chinese porcelain made for export during the 18th and 19th centuries were made according to European order. But, among the greatest treasures of Chinese art are the porcelain dishes and vases produced during the Tang, Song, and early part of Qing dynasties.

I decided to choose this topic for my assignment on the class web page because I have always enjoyed looking at Ming dynasty ceramics. I think the blue-and-white Ming dynasty pieces are the most beautiful pieces of Chinese ceramic arts. I hope you have enjoyed these images as much as I have.
References

Chinese Ceramics, Academic American Encyclopedia, vol. 4, 17th ed., pp. 386-86, Grolier Incorporated. Danbury, Connecticut.

Chinese Ceramics, The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 3, 1996 ed., pp. 489-90, World Book, Inc. Chicago.

Page design by Monica Di Guilio (Basic Design, City College of San Francisco)

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