The Magic of Kneaded Clay, Chinese Ceramic Collection, Taiwan National Palace Museum

Ceramics is a sign of civilization. From processing the clay, shaping the forms, applying the glazes to firing the products in kilns, raw materials go through many changes as soft clay becomes durable ceramic. The forms, glazes and decorative patterns on ceramics are diverse and varied due to their being created under different cultural and social conditions. Emperors, officials, potters and users of ceramics all contributed to the formation of various period styles in China. What is attractive about ceramics is that it echoes and records the long course of history, the network development of kilns also reflecting the phenomenon of cross-cultural interactions that took place over time.

Most ceramics in the National Palace Museum collection were inherited from the Qing imperial court and passed through many places before being moved to Taiwan. Originally from the palaces in Beijing, Rehe and Shenyang, these ceramics possess a distinct accession number that can help trace the original location at which each piece was once stored or displayed. It makes the collection of the National Palace Museum unique and distinct from other public and private museums. Even though the Museum does not have many pre-Song dynasty ceramics, it boasts many famous wares unparalleled anywhere in the world, including renowned Song wares, doucai porcelains of the Chenghua reign in the Ming dynasty, painted enamel porcelains of the High Qing as well as official wares of various Ming and Qing dynasty reigns.

This exhibition illustrates a history of development in Chinese ceramics based on the collection of the National Palace Museum. From the perspective of various glaze colors, it is possible to see how glazes evolved at different kilns and periods as well as how official models of decoration formed over time. The exhibition is divided into four sections: “Neolithic Age to the Five Dynasties,” “Song to Yuan Dynasties,” “Ming Dynasty,” and “Qing Dynasty”. “Neolithic Age to the Five Dynasties” represents a long period of time when ceramics evolved from primitive beginnings to a more sophisticated stage. Using the perspective of daily aesthetics, “Song to Yuan Dynasties” explores the decorations and beauty of various wares from different kilns. The “Ming Dynasty” section theme narrates the establishment of the Jingdezhen imperial kilns, as porcelain production became a state affair and local civilian kilns competed for market share. The “Qing Dynasty” section shows how three emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, personally gave orders for the imperial kilns, the influence of official models reaching a peak at that time. As the dynasty began to decline, the styles of folk art began to creep into late Qing imperial wares.

Ceramics is testimony to the realm of human activities. Apart from allowing visitors to grasp an idea of how Chinese ceramics developed, it is also hoped that the exhibition will generate more interaction and feedback so that this historical collection can continue to inspire new ideas.

Pottery and Porcelain
Pottery and porcelain are materials made from earth and water and their forms are shaped by kneading clay. Due to firing, changes occur to the physical as well as the chemical properties of clay. An important discovery of man in terms of capitalizing from natural resources, the production of ceramics is still dynamic today.

Materials used to make pottery are easy to obtain and high temperatures are not required in the firing process. As a result, most ancient civilizations in the world are known to have produced pottery with their own unique characteristics. Due to its porous nature, pottery is permeable even when covered by a coat of low-fired glaze. When struck, pottery makes a dull sound. In ancient china, pottery was often used as building material, or for the creation of funerary objects and containers for sauces, minced meat, wine, and water.

Porcelain are made from a refined clay known as kaolin, that is first covered with a coat of gloss glaze, then fired at high temperatures. Abundant in kaolin clay, China was among the earliest civilizations to discover the secret of firing kaolin. Over time, varieties such as green wares and white wares appeared as different techniques developing gradually such as the application of under glaze and over-glaze, incised or pattern-imprinted moulds used to create decorative motifs. When stuck, they make a clear sound. Porcelain wares generally serve as dining utensils, containers, and decorations for display. They are also often used at ceremonies and religious events.

After sintering, the body and glaze of ceramics do not deteriorate easily as time goes by. As a result, shards from ancient sites can be seen as records of remote cultures. Researchers are also able to learn about ceramic-making techniques of various regions in different time periods by observing the marks left during the processes of production

Neolithic Age to Five Dynasties
In the late Neolithic Age, various regions produced an assortment of ceramics, displaying the dynamic spirit of these early peoples. For example, the Yangshao culture, located at the upper reaches of the Yellow River, produced pottery painted with geometric patterns in bright colors such as red, black, and white, while in the lower reaches, the Longshan culture featured lustrous, black pottery characterized by its thin, eggshell-like form. The Dawenkou culture also manufactured very fine and meticulous white colored pottery. Through these examples, it is clear that the knowledge for selecting materials and the techniques for shaping forms and kiln firing were advanced, allowing for the development of diverse aesthetic ideas.

Pottery also played an important role in Chinese burial customs, which involved serving the deceased as if they were still alive. Using clay, craftsmen recreated scenes from life. Figurines, in the form of musicians, servants, officials, domestic animals, and buildings reflect the social conditions of ancient civilizations and the contemporary aesthetics. The surface of the pottery was often decorated with a coat of low-fired glaze. In the Han dynasty, archaic and solemn green and brown glazes were much loved. During the Tang dynasty, yellow, green, and brown glazes were applied to a single surface, creating a colorful and free style that became known as the Tang sancai, literally, the tri-colored glaze of the Tang dynasty.

Glazed high-fired porcelain first appeared in the Shang dynasty. By the late Spring and Autumn period, ritual and ceremonial wares with evenly applied green glaze developed in the Zhejiang area. However, large-scale production of porcelain did not begin until the Three Kingdom period and the Jin dynasties. As porcelain became associated with refined tastes and grew in popularity among high-ranking officials, ci, the Chinese character for porcelain, began to appear in poetries and essays.

After the Sui and Tang dynasties, the spread of kiln firing technique allowed for porcelain to become available to both the rich and the poor. Amongst the most popular were the green wares of the Yue kilns in the South and the white wares of the Xing kilns in the North. Furthermore, Ding ware and Changsha ware were exported in large quantities, reaching as far as Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Song to Yuan Periods
During the Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties from the tenth to fourteenth centuries, the firing of stoneware are widespread. Famous stonewares were named after the locations at which they were produced. Various kilns in different places came to establish their own independent styles as each excelled in the forms, glazes, skills for decorating and techniques of production for which they became known.

The centers of white-ware production during this period were the Ding kilns located in Hebei province of the north and the Jingdezhen kilns in Jiangxi province of the south. The former produced an ivory-white glaze while the latter created shadowy blue glaze. Wares from both places were known for their fluidly-carved decorative motifs and patterns created by impressing molds onto the clay body. As for black ware, Jian ware produced in Fujian province enjoyed the greatest reputation, with the crystallized streaks in the glaze appearing like the hairs of a hare. The center of multi-colored ware production was at the Jun kilns in Henan province, the glazes exhibiting various shades of blues and violets on milky-green base colors. Furthermore, many kilns also applied various ferric oxides as a coloring agent, producing celadons in different shades of light green or blue. For example, Yaozhou kilns made olive-green ware, Ru kilns created sky-blue glazes, and Guan (Official) and Longquan kilns produced pastel-green and plum-green wares, respectively. Stonewares of the period feature plain but elegant glazes as well as simple and archaic forms. Many of the decorative patterns are inspired by daily life and nature. These stonewares were much appreciated by nobility, the general public and even foreign markets.

This section categorizes the works on display based on the color of glaze, the location where made and the date of production. The objects are grouped as white, black, celadon and multi-colored ware. It is hoped that the development and evolution of glazes, decorative patterns, forms and techniques of Song, Jin and Yuan stoneware and porcelain may be demonstrated.

Ming Dynasty
Ceramic production was an important state affair in the Ming dynasty. In early Ming, the ceramics industry was mainly based at the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang province and the Jingdezheng kilns in Jiangxi province. Their products not only circulated all over China but also reached overseas markets. Furthermore, both of these kiln sites produced official wares.

In early Ming, the imperial kilns were set up at Jingdezhen, establishing the fundamental institution and system of Jingdezhen official wares for the next five hundred years. Production of official wares at the time was under direct supervision of the central government, which provided models and designs while also appointing superintendents. Under constant supervision, the quality and quantity of the products were carefully controlled. The selected final products were sent directly to the court for use by the imperial family and officials. From the Yongle reign, official wares began to bear the emperors’ reign mark, becoming the standard practice for most later official wares. Blue-and-white porcelains of the Yongle and Xuande reigns, doucai of the Chenghua reign, wucai of the Jiajing and Wanli reigns represent unparalleled accomplishments of the Ming official kilns.

Apart from Jingdezhen imperial kilns, other civilian kilns also produced porcelains. However, in terms of the quality and quantity of products, kiln types, modes of operation, and styles of their works, huge differences existed between official and civilian kilns.

In late Ming, political and economic changes as diverse values merged. Although the official kilns possessed superior raw materials, its management was slack and lacking order in technique. Civilian kilns, on the other hand, took advantage of the occasion and flourished.

Qing Dynasty
The production of Qing imperial wares was controlled by the imperial family. Due to better kiln administration and worker pay, imperial wares were able to continuously maintain supremacy at this time in terms of quantity and quality. During the High Qing period, the emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong were personally involved in the process of production while superintendents under their command closely oversaw the management of imperial kilns. As a result, the techniques, glazes, forms and patterns of official wares were unparalleled. Qing imperial wares of the time possess an imposing manner possessing both antiquarian elements and innovative styles that reflect the effort of the Manchu rulers trying to fit into the tradition of Han Chinese culture. Qing imperial wares also often represent a mix of contemporary Western and Eastern decorative styles.

In the late Qianlong period, the management of imperial kilns was entrusted to local supervising authorities. Imperial models of style became less influential over time as elements of popular taste among common folk increased. Although imperial wares in the Jiaqing and Daoquang reigns inherited the High Qing style, they were no longer as vivid, vigorous and creative as their predecessors. Starting from the Xianfeng reign, chaos appeared throughout the empire. The imperial kilns at Jingdezhen were destroyed and ceased functioning. After the Taiping Rebellion during the Tongzhi reign, the imperial kilns were again revived. Empress Dowager Cixi, who exercised control of the government at the time, actively oversaw the production of her personal wares and preferred bright colors. In the late Guangxu period, the operation of imperial kilns was entrusted to civilians, and the so-called “official ware” came to an end when the Xuantong Emperor abdicated the throne at the fall of the Qing dynasty.

This section is arranged chronologically according to periods in the Qing dynasty. Viewers are able to observe the different forms of Qing imperial porcelains, progressing over time in the evolution from High Qing official styles to popular folk tastes.

Taiwan National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum houses one of the largest collections of Chinese art in the world. With nearly 700,000 precious artifacts, the museum’s extensive collection spans thousands of years and consists of magnificent treasures from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing imperial collections.

In recent years, the National Palace Museum has dedicated itself to melding culture and technology, hoping to make its national treasures and remarkable cultural inheritance more accessible to people around the world.