Palace Museum's Jiajing porcelain collection

Author: Liu Wei (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: In the history of Chinese ceramics, the porcelain of the Jiajing era during the Ming Dynasty formed a very special period style. On one hand, due to the Ming government's strengthened foreign exchanges and trade expansion, porcelain, as a major export product, was massively sold overseas, which greatly stimulated domestic porcelain production, leading to rapid innovations in varieties and glazes. According to the Jingdezhen Ceramic Records by Lanpu, the porcelain of Jingdezhen at that time was "even more refined, with everything imaginable." Among them, the production of polychrome porcelain pioneered a new era in China's colored porcelain production, with both quality and quantity being remarkable. Another category of porcelain that developed alongside polychrome porcelain was multi-layered colored glaze porcelain, such as red glaze with yellow highlights, yellow glaze with red highlights, green glaze with red highlights, red glaze with green highlights, etc., with the glaze and color combinations being particularly striking. The colored patterns on Qing Dynasty famille rose ware, such as underglaze painting and gilding, were developed on the basis of inheriting this intricate multi-layered glaze technique. In addition to the distinctive colored porcelain, Jiajing blue-and-white porcelain was also a prominent feature, as cobalt was replaced with huqing (a type of cobalt), resulting in an exceptionally vivid and rich purple-blue hue, which became a defining characteristic of the era. This hue persisted through the Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli reigns. On the other hand, due to the centralization of feudal rule in China, the Ming Dynasty saw this system reach its peak. The emperor was the representative of the feudal ruling class, and his will could determine everything. Therefore, when the Jiajing Emperor revered Taoism, especially after middle age when he desperately sought immortality and longevity, his enthusiasm for Taoism influenced every aspect of society. Among the most affected was the Jingdezhen porcelain industry, which produced daily-use ceramics for the imperial family. At this time, porcelain production not only featured various ritual vessels but also incorporated square, angular, or polygonal shapes for many objects, with decorations often reflecting Taoist themes, filled with wishes for blessings and longevity.