Blue and White Porcelain in the Zhengzhi Style

Author: Pei Guanghui (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: If one seeks a material carrier that embodies the history of a nation's civilization, then nothing compares to ceramics—especially for the Chinese nation. Describing the essence and height of a civilization can be approached from different perspectives and scales, but it always revolves around two core dimensions: "technology" (in the broad sense) and "art" (in the broad sense). Any civilization must inherently contain both dimensions; otherwise, it cannot truly be considered a "civilization." The long-standing Chinese ancient ceramics have always been a fusion of technology and art. It can be said that without understanding Chinese ancient ceramics, one cannot fully grasp Chinese civilization. Porcelain is a great creation of the Chinese nation. This creation was equally awe-inspiring in the West—"shocking heaven and moving earth." When this object reached the West, it was even believed to be a natural jade carved by the hands of man. They had never imagined that besides God, who else could mold clay into a substance so unprecedented in the world! However, the facts before them made it clear that this was not the work of divine creation but rather the crystallization of human wisdom. After the (strong ships and powerful guns) forced open the doors of the original homeland of the "Four Great Inventions," "Chinese porcelain" remained a "fifth great invention" that the Chinese nation could proudly surpass the West, its charm enduring through the ages! The collecting and research of Chinese ancient ceramics are booming, but currently, there are few works on Chinese ancient ceramics that offer independent thinking and fresh insights available in the market. There are also few series of books on Chinese ancient ceramics, and most of them present outdated perspectives: some organize them by dynasties, while others by kiln sites. The former follows the line of dynastic changes, artificially severing the historical development of Chinese ancient ceramics, making reading feel disjointed. The latter, organized by regional kiln sites, often lacks a horizontal examination of the same ancient ceramic type across different production areas. Therefore, it has been decided to organize a series titled "The Great System of Famous Ancient Chinese Porcelains" based on the types of ancient ceramics from different dynasties. This will be a new perspective for showcasing and researching Chinese ancient ceramics, and whether it is appropriate or not, we sincerely hope for guidance from scholars at home and abroad.