Kang, Yong, and Qian Blue and White Porcelain

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 standards, but it always revolves around the two dimensions of "technology" and "art." Any civilization must inherently contain both, otherwise it cannot truly be called 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 understand Chinese civilization. Porcelain is one of the great inventions 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 mistaken for a naturally carved jade piece. They had never imagined that besides God, who else could mold clay into a substance never seen before 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 fever for Chinese ancient ceramics is still on the rise. However, there are few works on Chinese ancient ceramics in the market that offer independent thinking and fresh insights, and series of books on the subject are also scarce, often limited to outdated perspectives: organized by dynasties or kiln sites. The former cuts off the natural development history of Chinese ancient ceramics by artificially linking it to the rise and fall of dynasties, making the reading experience disjointed. The latter, organized by regional kiln sites, often lacks a horizontal examination of the same ancient ceramic type across different production areas. Therefore, the decision was made 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 its appropriateness is yet to be judged by scholars at home and abroad.