The Palace Museum holds enamel porcelain

Author: Liu Wei (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: The Qing Dynasty was the last feudal dynasty in China. The world-renowned Chinese porcelain industry reached its zenith during the Qing period. Particularly in the reigns of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors, China's porcelain industry achieved unprecedented achievements. The red glaze, blue and white porcelain,, and monochrome sancai of the Kangxi period, the famille rose, enamel ware, single-color glaze of the Yongzheng period, and the special craft porcelain of the Qianlong period were all masterpieces of their time. These remarkable accomplishments undoubtedly built upon the achievements of previous dynasties in porcelain production, but the special fondness and emphasis placed on porcelain by the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors also played an undeniable positive role. The enamel ware of the late Kangxi period, for instance, was created under the direct instructions of the Kangxi Emperor. Upon its introduction, it enjoyed a series of honors: designs were provided by court painters, fine were fired by the Jingdezhen imperial kilns, and then sent to the "Imperial Workshops" in the capital for selection. The selected pieces were then painted and colored by artists from the "Hall of Ruyi," and finally fired in imperial kilns within the palace. This porcelain dominated the Qing court for nearly a century. Enamel ware, with its pure white and delicate body, lustrous glaze like jade, vibrant and brilliant colors, and exquisite craftsmanship, became the "imperial porcelain" for the emperor and empresses to admire and play with in the Forbidden City. According to archives, in the third year of the Yongzheng reign (1724), the emperor bestowed 146 pieces of various official kiln porcelain on the King of Siam, and only one of them was enamel ware. Even among the inner court officials, only Nian Gengyao was granted one or two pieces after multiple requests. Emperor Qianlong even issued an edict prohibiting commoners from even glimpsing it.