Hong Kong Palace Museum | Brilliance: Ming Dynasty Ceramic Treasures from the Palace Museum, 1368–1644

Porcelains with underglaze copper-red decoration were first made in the Yuan dynasty and then developed during the Hongwu period of the early Ming dynasty. Although the tonality of the copper-oxide pigment on this Hongwu-period vase is more stable than that on Yuan dynasty pieces, the multilayered decoration is still typical of Yuan dynasty pieces. Both tonality and decoration are characteristic of ceramics of the transitional period from the Yuan dynasty to the Ming dynasty.

The imported cobalt pigment used by the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen was rich in iron, which created dark blue flecks when the wares were fired. The vase shows the close communications between the Ming government and the Western Asia.

In the early Ming dynasty, not just Jingdezhen but Longquan in Zhejiang province had official kilns governed by the court. Imperial ceramics produced in Longquan were made according to instructions from the court and have forms and designs remarkably similar to those of Jingdezhen wares. In addition to being supplied to the court in the early Ming dynasty, celadons made in Longquan kilns were carried on diplomatic missions to be used as the chief ceramic gifts. They were very popular in neighbouring countries and were also exported as far away as today’s Africa.

Doucai is a technique that has already reached maturity during the Chenghua period. This cup with garden scenes in autumn is one of the finest pieces of doucai, It has a thin and light body, and the colour is vibrant. On the exterior are paintings of rocks, flowers, and colourful dancing butterflies, vividly capturing the scene of an autumn courtyard. This type of cup is usually called sanqiubei. While the name literally translates as “three autumn cup”, meaning the three months of autumn, which is the typical length of the season.

Take a closer look at the purple butterflies on the cup. The glaze used on their wings is rich in colour and has a dry, matte surface. This shade of purple is called chazi, unique to doucai of the Chenghua period.

Wucai (“five-colour”) porcelains originated during the Xuande period (1426–1435) of the Ming dynasty. This kind of wucai porcelain, which combines underglaze blue with overglaze polychrome enamels, was not produced on a large scale at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen until the late Ming dynasty. The most representative examples were made during the Wanli period, renowned for their bright red and green enamels and lavishly decorated designs. Although the bowl decorated with mandarin ducks on a lotus pond bears a Chenghua reign mark, it was in fact produced during the Wanli period. This reflects the late Ming tendency to emulate and pay homage to masterpieces of earlier reigns.