Description
Antique Chinese blue and white porcelain bowl.
Dimensions: 9.0 X 20.0 cm.
History blue and white porcelain:
Blue and white porcelain is contrived using the color blue, usually from cobalt oxide, to create designs on shaped clean, white clay that is then covered in a layer of transparent glaze and baked in a kiln at high temperatures.
Traces of blue and white wares are found beginning in the Tang dynasty (618-907) but it was not until the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) that the art reached perfection. This development was partially due to religious beliefs.
The Mongols counted as their mythical ancestors. “the hazy blue wolf” and “the white fallow doe” Blue-and-white porcelain was reserved for special occasions or as diplomatic gifts.
Mongolian Legend:
The blue wolf and white fallow doe, represent the ancestral male and female principles of all life. The sky and earth, the light and dark. One is not whole and balanced without the other. It is fitting that there ancestors are fabled to have given rise to the great people named “Mongols” descendants of the blue wolf and white fallow doe.
In the early 14th century, mass-production of fine, transparent, blue and white porcelain started at Jingdezhen (景德鎮), sometimes called the “porcelain capital (瓷都)” of China.
During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the blue and white ware industry became increasingly important because at this time, blue and white porcelain was not only known within the borders of China, it was also welcomed in the international trade market, initiating its imitation throughout Asia.
By the late 19th century blue-and-white had become an essential element of the ‘house beautiful’, with sideboards and cabinets being designed specifically for the elegant display of ceramics in the home.
In current times, blue and white wares are common in daily life in forms ranging from dinner sets to vases.
Antique Chinese blue and white porcelain bowl – It is an excellent and collectible piece.
Code: C249
