Ming Xuande ci qi te zhan mu lu

Abstract

"The development of pottery in China, spanning in total a period of over six thousand years, passed through many striking and diverse changes. One of the most important was the marked change in the native aesthetic sense and appreciation of pottery and porcelain that occurred in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Where former periods had admired the simple celadon wares of the Ju and Lung-ch'uan kilns, later day artisans produced wares that were more and more resplendent. The new glazes and painted decorations as well as new firing techniques initiated distinguished differences in the porcelains of this period. From the last years of the Ming Emperor T'ai-tsu's reign through the Yüng-lo and Hsüan-te periods, the production of imperial porcelain at Ching-te-chen expanded on a truly regal scale. The vast quantity of these wares were all of exceptional quality. The ten-year reign of Emperor Hsüang-tsung was a period in which 'there were enlightened and orderly political administration, graneries filled to overflowing, people happy in their work and the years free of calamities'. This period was the culmination of sixty years of peace. Although burdened with the innumerable duties of state, the emperor still maintained an elegant appreciation of the arts, which he encouraged and patronized. Thus, it is felt that the porcelain creations of this period, whether underglaze blue ware or monochrome-glazed porcelain with ruby red, ox-blood red, or deep sky blue glaze are all masterpieces of unprecedented achievement"--Foreword.