History of Chinese Ceramics - (Illustrated Collector's Edition)

Author: Wu Renjing, Xin Anchao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-04-01
Features: There have been few books on ceramics throughout history. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were occasional authors, but their works were disjointed and lacked a systematic approach, making them unsuitable as authoritative texts. As for books on the history of ceramics, none existed before this one. The authors believed it was a "trampling of our ancestors' legacy" and a "great shame for the Chinese people." Thus, they set out to compile this work. They referenced dozens of sources, including ancient classics, official statistics, translated works by foreign authors, and personal records, categorizing and compiling them extensively. Where gaps remained, they conducted field investigations to ensure accuracy and completeness. The book provides detailed and concise accounts of the origins of ceramics, the invention and types of porcelain in each dynasty, famous kilns, the evolution of glazes, advancements in decoration, renowned potters, and works on porcelain appreciation. The thousands of years of Chinese ceramic history and its rise and fall are clearly presented in this book.
One of the authors, Wu Renjing, is from Boyang, Jiangxi. He studied in Japan and served as the principal of the Jingdezhen Private Eastern Art College. He was also a long-term art teacher at a ceramic school. Not only did he possess modern awareness and a scientific perspective, but he was also an expert in porcelain painting. He published a seminal work on porcelain painting titled The Art of Porcelain Painting, which was designated by the Ministry of Education as a vocational textbook.
"Porcelain" is the result of a technological achievement in which humans utilize natural resources such as clay minerals and rocks through firing. It has a very close relationship with human history and civilization. Especially the invention of porcelain and its brilliant achievements in craftsmanship and technology have made significant contributions to human life, self-cultivation, and culture. A "history of ceramics" is both a microcosm of the long development of national art and science and a true reflection of the social life, cultural exchange, and even politics and economy of the time.
The authors believed it was a "trampling of our ancestors' legacy" and a "great shame for the Chinese people." Thus, they set out to compile this work. They referenced dozens of sources, including ancient classics, official statistics, translated works by foreign authors, and personal records, categorizing and compiling them extensively. Where gaps remained, they conducted field investigations to ensure accuracy and completeness. The book provides detailed and concise accounts of the origins of ceramics, the invention and types of porcelain in each dynasty, famous kilns, the evolution of glazes, advancements in decoration, renowned potters, and works on porcelain appreciation. The thousands of years of Chinese ceramic history and its rise and fall are clearly presented in this book.
In the 18th century, when Chinese ceramics were popular in Europe, the Rococo art movement was flourishing there. Chinese ceramics, with their hard texture, elegant and subtle blue-white hues, smooth and fine surfaces, well-proportioned forms, and clear transitions, introduced a refreshing breeze to European art. Their artistic style—bright, graceful, rigorous, exquisite, and polished—guided European artists to rebel against the lavish, ornate, stagnant, and rigidly stylized Rococo art, which was characterized by its gaudy, overly elaborate, and monotonous structures. Takashi Komai has remarked: "The main features of Rococo art were entirely derived from Chinese craftsmanship. Therefore, 'Rococo' is an ambiguous term. It would be more precise and practical to call it 'Chinese-French art.'"
This book is suitable for researchers or enthusiasts of Chinese ceramics, Chinese art history, traditional Chinese culture, proponents or critics of traditional Chinese culture, scholars or enthusiasts of Sino-Western cultural exchange, and students at all levels.