Identify porcelain based on decoration and color.
From the aspect of decoration and color, the decoration on ceramics has the same distinctive characteristics of the times as the shape. With the continuous enrichment and improvement of the raw materials and techniques of painting porcelain, both in terms of subject matter, content and form of expression. It has its own levels and characteristics in different eras. Therefore, it has become a powerful clue to distinguish eras and identify authenticity.
The development process of porcelain decoration also evolved from simplicity to complexity, from imprinting and engraving to carved depictions, and from simple one color to gorgeous and colorful.
In this regard, the Yuan Dynasty was an obvious turning point. The emergence of underglaze colors such as blue and white and underglaze red in the Yuan Dynasty ushered in a new era of porcelain decoration and broke the monotony of the previous single-color glaze. The invention of various colors after the Ming and Qing Dynasties further enriched the decoration of porcelain. The emergence of each decorative method has its own process of emergence, growth, and development, and we can infer the age of the artifacts based on this. For example, in the early blue and white and underglaze red, because the characteristics of the raw materials were not well understood, there were fewer beautiful colors in the products of the Yuan Dynasty. The underglaze red often had the disadvantage of being dark or turning into magenta. However, most of the mature blue and white and underglaze red patterns in the late Yuan Dynasty are very beautiful. The patterns not only pay attention to the harmony of primary and secondary, but also use multi-sided lace patterns. Regardless of the mountains, rocks and flowers, there is a circle of blank edges on the outside that are not filled with color. Thus forming a unique style.
Cloud and Dragon Pattern
In addition, due to the limitations of raw material composition, calligraphy also has different characteristics of the times. For example, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, some porcelains made from imported green materials were rich and brilliant in color, but their tones were very unstable and not suitable for painting figures. Therefore, there is a saying that "there were few people in the Yuan Dynasty, there were no people in Yongle, and there were more women than men in Xuande". Chenghua Doucai is also limited by raw materials and technology. Although the color is bright and crystal clear, it has the so-called defect of "the flowers have no shady side and the leaves have no negative side". Moreover, the characters in the painting, regardless of gender, old or young, all wear a single piece of clothing in all seasons, and there is no exaggerated clothing pattern or different colors between the outside and the inside. These are the characteristics of the times in the decoration, which are often ignored by later imitations. It would be helpful if we could pay attention when identifying authenticity. In addition, some period differences can also be found in the colors applied. For example, there is no black color in Chenghua paintings. At that time, in addition to using underglaze cobalt to draw blue lines, red and ocher were also used to draw outlines. If we encounter a piece of Chenghua color porcelain with black outlines on the glaze, we should doubt whether it is authentic and reliable, because the earliest application of black outlines did not exceed the early Zhengde period. Pastels cannot be used earlier than the late Kangxi period. Of course, it is difficult to believe that imitation Ming porcelain with pastels is not a fake. During the Qianlong period, due to the extensive use of foreign colors and the absorption of decorative methods from Western decorative patterns, some works pursued fine brushwork and unique patterns, causing some patterns to lose their inherent national style. This also reflects the characteristics of a certain era.
Twining branches
There are still differences between the Ming and Qing dynasties in the use of characters as decoration on porcelain. The porcelains of the Ming Dynasty were mostly written with Sanskrit, scriptures, Baifu, and Baishou characters; the porcelains of the Qing Dynasty were often decorated with large-scale poems, lyrics, songs, and poems, such as "Chibi Fu", "Before and after the Master", "Tengwang Pavilion Narrative" ". This kind of vessel with only text but no pictures was rarely copied in the past dynasties. Understanding this is of great reference value in our specific work of judging the era and distinguishing authenticity.
Between official kiln and folk kiln porcelain, there is a saying that "official kiln dragon has five claws, and folk kiln dragon has three or four claws". Generally speaking, this also provides us with a clue to determine authenticity, but it cannot be regarded as absolute. Folk kiln porcelain also has five-clawed dragon patterns, and official kiln porcelain also has three-clawed and four-clawed dragon designs. For example, the Xuande official kiln blue and white sea water dragon pattern celestial sphere vase is painted with three melon dragons, and the Kangxi official kiln green ground plain three-color cloud and dragon pattern stationery box is decorated with four-clawed dragons. The decorations on official kiln porcelain are often inseparable from the emperor's hobbies and wishes at that time. For example, Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty was superstitious about Taoism, so he liked to use patterns such as Bagua, Eight Immortals, Clouds and Cranes for decoration. Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty was fond of pigeons, dogs, grass and insects, so this type of scenes also appeared frequently in the porcelain of this period.
In the Qing Dynasty, there was a trend of rewarding porcelain. The porcelain given to ministers mostly used blue and white lotus as the main decoration. Blue and white represented the importance of purity in officials, white was the most important, lotus symbolized integrity, and sea water symbolized peace in the world. Others include Yi Tong (Tong) Wannian, Three Yang (Yang) Kaitai, Four Concubines and Sixteen Sons, Five Rituals, Six Kingdoms, Seven Treasures, Eight Treasures, Nine Liandeng, Baifu, Baitai, and Red Banner. (Hongfu) Qitian and others.
In short, each era has some unique symptoms. If you can master these laws, it can play an important role in identifying doubts and forgeries. In particular, the following characteristics of the era must be well understood: the deformed lotus petals and the color-free painting method of mountain and stone flowers on Yuan Dynasty porcelain; the morning glories and seawater river teeth on Yong and Xuan porcelain; the palindrome and lines of Zhengde porcelain Dragons wearing flowers; flower holders and Taoist books on Jia and Wan porcelain; double peonies and moon shadow plum blossoms on Kangxi porcelain; branch flowers and leather ball flowers on Yongzheng porcelain; and thousands of flowers and icing on the cake on Qianlong porcelain. outstanding characteristics of the times.