Identification of Ming and Qing Dynasty Civil Kiln Porcelain: The Xianfeng and Tongzhi Volume

Author: Tie Yuan, Xi Ming
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not Available
Features: The history of porcelain production in China is long-standing, with an extensive variety of types, rich forms, exquisite craftsmanship, and unique styles, all of which are rare in the world. The fundamental attributes of porcelain at that time combined practicality with aesthetics, holding significant importance in meeting people's material and spiritual needs. Today, most porcelain before the Republic of China has lost its practical value, retaining only aesthetic value. The two reigns of Xianfeng and Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty spanned 24 years, marking a period of rapid decline in the quality of imperial porcelain. porcelain during this time was even coarser and more vulgar. Many ceramic literature combines this period with the Guangxu and Xuantong reigns, referring to them as the Late Qing. However, the Late Qing porcelain was not unified in style. This book, with a wealth of actual artifacts, provides a multi-faceted and comprehensive explanation of porcelain from the Xianfeng and Tongzhi reigns, covering aspects such as form, body and glaze, base and foot, patterns, and inscriptions. It also offers unique insights into the stylistic characteristics of these porcelain, such as the bulky forms and garish, dull colors of Xianfeng pieces, and the overly vibrant red and green hues and the phenomenon of characters with rolled-up eyes in Tongzhi works. The book is highly informative and practical, serving as an essential reference tool for identifying Late Qing porcelain.