Authenticating Chinese Imperial Northern Song Dynasty Ru Ware.Chinese Imperial Song Dynasty Ru Wares are the most Important, Collectable and Valuable ceramics China has ever produce at These wares were the first wares to be commissioned by the Emperor to be used exclusively by Himself and his Court in China's history.
Chinese porcelain is a durable, beautiful, and historically significant example of ceramic art. It serves as an important industry in China and is greatly admired around the world. The basic recipe for producing porcelain consists of four steps: forming a piece, glazing, decorating, and firing. The firing takes place in a kiln at extremely high temperatures above 1,260 degrees Celsius (or 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit).
The finest porcelains are white and translucent thanks to the presence of kaolin—a soft, white clay that is bountiful around certain Chinese rivers. Artisans have mastered the right proportions of kaolin with other materials such as feldspar, ball clay, glass, or bone ash to achieve the effects of color and translucence. Artisans during the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1050 BCE) made the first proto-porcelains. Improved techniques came during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), and the white, translucent porcelain we know today came during the Tang dynasty (618–907). By the time of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), porcelain was being exported to Europe.
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Editing: Jackson Harvey
Research: Khamo Kyi
[Catalog No. CFV11257; © 2019 Smithsonian Institution]
“I studied ceramics. I love ceramics. My work is ceramics and ceramics are my life.”
–Huang Yunpeng.
American ceramics artist, Judy Fleming, travels to the “World Capital of Ceramics” – Jingdezhen, China, to learn from the porcelain master Huang Yunpeng.
Master Huang Yunpeng was appointed by China to be the heir of Chinese porcelain art. He focuses on reproductions of porcelain in ancient and traditional Chinese styles. He recreates valuable ancient porcelain pieces from old dynasties.
Initially a painter and sculptor, he is now regarded as one of the top porcelain artists in China, and he is also a driving force behind the revival of the ceramic art industry in Jingdezhen, China.
On this trip, Judy learns about the history of ceramic art in China by visiting historic sites and ancient kilns. She also travels to mountainsides to learn methods used to harvest and process ceramic clay in the region.
While local culture, food, and beautiful scenery have made long lasting impressions on Judy, the best part of the trip is seeing a true master at work.
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Join Karine as she learns about the history of Chinese porcelain, an art form created during the Han Dynasty and shaped by artisans from the Song, Ming and other dynasties.
These bowls, called linglong (玲珑) porcelain, used to be everywhere in the West. And they all come from this one town in China.
We visited one of the last factories that still makes this style of blue and white porcelain, and deciphered the symbols that cover the bowl.
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Written and Voiceover by: Clarissa Wei
Produced and Shot by: Nathaniel Brown and Clarissa Wei
Edited by: Nicholas Ko
Animated by: Ray Ngan
Special Thanks: Dolly Li, Nicholas Ko, Hanley Chu
Mastered by: Victor Peña
Music: Audio Network
#porcelain #artisan #artsandcrafts
Chinese porcelain is an ancestral art that requires dedication. Next time you buy Chinese porcelain, you will enjoy even more the beauty it hides, just like this guy experienced the art of making it.
