Chinese ceramic history dates back to the Neolithic Age (approximately 10,000 BCE). Early pottery from Yangshao Culture already demonstrated aesthetic pursuits through painted decorations while serving practical purposes. A groundbreaking advancement occurred during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 CE) when Yue kilns in Shangyu, Zhejiang perfected celadon wares featuring dense clay bodies and lustrous green glaze, marking the birth of true porcelain. The Tang Dynasty established the “Southern Celadon and Northern White” paradigm – Yue kiln’s secret-color porcelain with “jade-like glaze” and Xing kiln’s “silver-white” stoneware, while tri-colored glazed pottery became Silk Road icons. Song Dynasty witnessed ceramic artistry’s zenith: Ru kiln’s sky-blue glaze evoking “post-rain heavens”, Jun kiln’s unpredictable kiln-transmuted hues, and Jingdezhen’s shadowy blue-white qingbai ware. Yuan Dynasty revolutionized ceramics with cobalt-blue underglaze painting techniques influenced by Persian motifs. During Ming-Qing periods, Jingdezhen emerged as the global porcelain capital, pioneering polychrome techniques like contrasting colors (doucai) and enamel paints (falangcai). Kangxi to Qianlong reigns (1662-1795) represented technical perfection, with blue-and-white dragon motifs and famille-rose decorations remaining unparalleled artistic benchmarks.
The albums “Exquisite Pottery Containing Antiquity”, “Precious Pottery and Beauty”, “Molding Pottery Flowing Light” and “Burning Works and Showing Color” were drawn by court painters during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Each album contains ten pieces of ancient porcelain (mostly works from the Song and Ming dynasties) selected by Emperor Qianlong. Each page is framed in two pages, with the name and picture of the product on the top page and the size, glaze color, shape, inscription and comments of predecessors on the bottom page. These four ceramic albums were all drawn to facilitate Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty to appreciate the porcelain in the paintings.
- Song Dynasty Ge Kiln “Sunflower Bowl”
Height: 1.6 cun (≈5.3 cm), depth: 1.3 cun (≈4.3 cm), mouth diameter: 3.6 cun (≈12 cm).
Features: Footed base, “hundred crackles” iron-brown foot (百圾碎鐵足), heavy clay body with pure glaze, and subtle fish-roe texture (魚子紋). A refined example of Ge Kiln miniatures. - Song Dynasty Longquan Kiln Plain Washer
Height: 1.9 cun (≈6.3 cm), depth: 1.6 cun (≈5.3 cm), mouth diameter: 5.2 cun (≈17.3 cm).
Features: Winter-green glaze (冬青色), unadorned design. Bowu Yaolan notes Longquan Kiln rivals Guan and Ge Kilns in elegance but lacks crackles and purple clay base (紫骨). This piece displays pinkish “eel-blood” edges (鱔血) and vivid turquoise tones, exemplifying fine Longquan ware. - Ming Xuande Kiln “Jiqing” Blue-Glazed Plate
Height: 1.4 cun (≈4.7 cm), depth: 1.1 cun (≈3.7 cm), mouth diameter: 4.3 cun (≈14.3 cm).
Features: Footed base, underglaze “Great Ming Xuande Reign” mark in regular script (楷書暗款). Historical records note the use of Sumali blue pigment (蘇泥勃青) during Xuande, considered the zenith of Ming ceramics. - Ming Xuande Kiln “Jihong” Red-Glazed Bowl
Height: 2.5 cun (≈8.3 cm), depth: 2 cun (≈6.7 cm), mouth diameter: 5.4 cun (≈18 cm).
Features: Bright red glaze with even “lampgrass” rim (燈草邊), thick orange-peel texture (橘皮紋), and underglaze Xuande reign mark. A masterpiece of Xuande red monochromes. - Ming Wanli Kiln Plate with Sanskrit Inscriptions
Height: 1 cun (≈3.3 cm), depth: 0.8 cun (≈2.7 cm), mouth diameter: 4.7 cun (≈15.7 cm).
Features: Central Sanskrit characters surrounded by smaller script, “Great Ming Wanli Reign” mark. Distinguished by pure glaze and evenly applied blue, typical of imperial kiln production. - Ming Dynasty Imitation Ge Kiln Lian (Cosmetic Box)
Total height with lid: 3.4 cun (≈11.3 cm), depth: 2.4 cun (≈8 cm), mouth diameter: 3.9 cun (≈13 cm).
Features: Five “iron foot” supports (五鐵足), purple-tinged mouth rim (紫口), refined crackles finer than Ge Kiln originals, and a creamy glaze resembling congealed fat. A collectible Ming replica. - Song Dynasty Ding Kiln Chrysanthemum Vase
Height: 5.1 cun (≈17 cm), depth: 4.5 cun (≈15 cm), mouth diameter: 1.2 cun (≈4 cm).
Features: Chrysanthemum-petal relief on the belly. Liuqing Rizha (《留青日札》) identifies this as Southern Ding Kiln ware (南定器) from post-Song migration, with slightly inferior glaze quality. - Ming Dynasty Imitation Guan Kiln Yi (Water Vessel)
Height: 1.5 cun (≈5 cm), depth: 1.2 cun (≈4 cm), mouth diameter: 4.5 cun (≈15 cm).
Features: Spout and foot, fine crackles, made from refined Yixing white clay. A superior example of Ming-era Ou Kiln imitations of Guan and Jun glazes. - Song Dynasty Ding Kiln “Sunflower Bowl”
Height: 1.3 cun (≈4.3 cm), depth: 1.1 cun (≈3.7 cm), mouth diameter: 4.2 cun (≈14 cm).
Features: Interior sunflower motif, white-glazed with crystalline purity, and delicate clay body. A rare miniature for scholarly studios. - Song Dynasty Xiang Kiln “Auspicious Fungus” Zun Vessel
Height: 4.1 cun (≈13.7 cm), depth: 3.6 cun (≈12 cm), mouth diameter: 4 cun (≈13.3 cm).
Features: Fungus motifs (瑞芝) encircling the belly, cicada-wing crackles (蟬翼紋), and crab-claw crackles (蟹爪細紋). Liuqing Rizha describes Xiang Kiln’s ivory-toned glaze, slightly inferior to Ding ware.
- Song Ruyao Coiled Dragon Washer (宋汝窯蟠龍洗)
Height: 1.5 cun; Depth: 1.3 cun; Mouth Diameter: 5.6 cun.
Eggshell-white glaze with lustrous thickness. The entire body exhibits crab-claw crackles, and a coiled dragon is subtly raised at the center. The base features concentric patterns, unglazed iron-brown “bone,” and three small spur marks. Historical records note that during the Song Dynasty, Ruzhou was ordered to establish celadon kilns, where agate powder was mixed into the glaze, resulting in a texture more refined than official kilns. This piece exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of its era. - Song Junyao Floral-Form Plate (宋均窯花式盤)
Height: 0.5 cun; Depth: 0.4 cun; Length: 3.7 cun; Width: 7 cun.
Shaped like a begonia petal with onion-green glaze. The base has four legs with spur marks and thick glaze. The plate shows soil erosion traces. Bowu Yaolan records that Jun kilns were primarily used for chlorite basin bases, while other yellow-clay wares were less valued. This plate, however, is praised for its delicate texture and elegant form. - Song Geyao Chrysanthemum Petal Dish (宋哥窯葵花碟)
Height: 1.1 cun; Depth: 0.7 cun; Mouth Diameter: 4.7 cun.
Pale green glaze with a chrysanthemum-petal rim, iron foot, purple mouth rim, and “hundred-split” crackles. During the Song Dynasty, the Longquan Zhang brothers separately managed kilns; the elder (Zhang Sheng Yi) established Ge kilns, renowned for thin clay bodies and pure glazes. This dish, with its thin body and subtle hues, represents the finest of Geyao. - Song Dingyao Lotus Dish (宋定窯蓮花碟)
Height: 0.7 cun; Depth: 0.6 cun; Mouth Diameter: 4.2 cun.
White glaze with two raised lotus motifs, thin jade-like body. According to Zunsheng Bajian, Northern Dingzhou produced white-glazed wares with painted or stamped patterns. This dish’s crisp carving and alignment with historical texts confirm its authenticity. - Song Dingyao Phoenix Plate (宋定窯舞鳳盤)
Height: 0.7 cun; Depth: 0.6 cun; Mouth Diameter: 7 cun.
Carved with a phoenix amid flowers, unadorned rounded base, and moist white glaze. Rizha distinguishes Northern Ding (with bamboo-brush marks) from Southern Ding (post-Song migration, decorated). This refined piece is attributed to Southern Ding. - Song Dingyao Coiled Dragon Washer (宋定窯蟠龍洗)
Height: 1.1 cun; Depth: 1 cun; Mouth Diameter: 4.3 cun.
Translucent white glaze with a coiled dragon motif surrounded by geometric patterns. The unglazed jade-like base highlights its purity, marking it as a masterpiece. - Song Dingyao Chrysanthemum Washer (宋定窯葵花洗)
Height: 0.7 cun; Depth: 0.5 cun; Mouth Diameter: 4.6 cun.
Six-petaled chrysanthemum form with plain glaze. Gegu Yaolun praises Dingyao’s carved designs but acknowledges the understated elegance of this unadorned piece. - Song Dingyao Mandarin Duck Dish (宋定窯雙鴛碟)
Height: 0.4 cun; Depth: 0.3 cun; Mouth Diameter: 4.5 cun.
Shallow dish with carved mandarin ducks swimming among lotus ponds. Brown streaks on the slightly concave base suggest its antiquity, matching the craftsmanship of the Phoenix Plate. - Song Dingyao Coiled Dragon Dish (宋定窯蟠龍碟)
Height: 0.8 cun; Depth: 0.6 cun; Mouth Diameter: 4.4 cun.
Intricately carved coiled dragon amid clouds, thunder patterns on the rim. The thick glaze and precise craftsmanship exemplify Dingyao’s technical mastery. - Song Dingyao Auspicious Beast Washer (宋定窯瑞獸洗)
Height: 0.7 cun; Depth: 0.6 cun; Mouth Diameter: 4.6 cun.
Chrysanthemum-petal rim with mythical beast motifs and thunder patterns. Water stains suggest burial, enhancing its antique patina.
This album was compiled and drawn during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It contains ten album pages and ten painted porcelains, including:
Song Ru Kiln dish A, Song Ru Kiln boat-shaped brush washer B, Song Ge Kiln Yi jar C, Song Ding Kiln lotus leaf dish D, Song Ding Kiln spittoon E, Ming Xuan Kiln red sunflower pot F, Ming Xuan Kiln blue and white pot G, Ming Xuan Kiln bath bean pot S, Ming Chenghua Ding Kiln wash Ren, Ming Jia Kiln Fa Yu Gui
Each page is painted with a floral frame, the upper half is the name of the vessel, the painted image of the vessel and the inscription, and the lower half details the size and description of the vessel. The seal of Emperor Qianlong is stamped. Compared with the real objects, the album faithfully records the glaze color, size, and even the characteristics of the dark pattern and bottom of the objects. It is an album of objects collected by Emperor Qianlong, the “burning work shows the color” porcelain box.
This album is bound with rosewood covers, with the four characters “埏埴流光” inscribed in the center of the front cover. The term “埏埴” originates from Laozi’s Dao De Jing: “埏埴以为器，当其无，有器之用” (Kneading clay to make vessels, we recognize the utility in their emptiness), referring to the process of shaping clay into functional objects. The interior contains ten folio pages with color illustrations of ceramics, including:
- Ru Kiln “Qingkou” Washer (甲) – Song Dynasty
- Ru Kiln Boat-shaped Brush Washer (乙) – Song Dynasty
- Guan Kiln Sunflower Washer (丙) – Song Dynasty
- Guan Kiln Water Caltrop Dish (丁) – Song Dynasty
- Ge Kiln Bulbous Censer (戊) – Song Dynasty
- Guan Kiln Sunflower Dish (己) – Song Dynasty
- Ding Kiln Lotus Cup (庚) – Song Dynasty
- Ding Kiln Square Dish (辛) – Song Dynasty
- Xuande Kiln Sacrificial Red Handled Bowl (壬) – Ming Dynasty
- Chenghua Kiln Polychrome Dish (癸) – Ming Dynasty
Each page features a decorative floral border. The upper section displays the ceramic’s name, illustrated image, and inscriptions, while the lower section meticulously records dimensions (in traditional Chinese units fen, cun, and chi) and descriptive notes. The pages are further authenticated by the imperial appraisal seals of Emperor Qianlong.
