Chinese Porcelain has shown continuous development since the pre-dynastic periods and is one of the most significant forms of Chinese art. China is richly endowed with the raw materials needed for making porcelain. The first type of porcelain was made during the Palaeolithic era. Chinese porcelain ranges from construction materials, such as bricks and tiles, to hand-built pottery vessels fired in bonfires or kilns, to the sophisticated Chinese porcelain wares made for the imperial court. China had a monopoly on porcelain production until relatively recently. Porcelain is also often called "china" in English.
Among the many types of porcelain, porcelain sculptures became a special art form.
Porcelain sculptures started in Jingdezhen in the Sui Dynasty (581-618). Elegant and refined sculptures gained a rapid production pace during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the sculpture developed into different types of charming styles. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the techniques for creating sculptures were advanced by the invention of polychrome pigments. This decorative style is was a new innovation in color.
During the Ming dynasty, porcelain sculptures’ craftsmanship achieved a very high level. During the Ming Dynasty, porcelain sculptures could be formed using a variety of techniques to make in different shapes of figures, animals or flowers. Some of these techniques were modeling, carving, engraving, and embossing and relief decoration. Artists paid particular attention to showing their art as lifelike, taking into consideration posture, mood and deity symbols in order to make their work as accurate as possible. In addition, artists liked to covey the deity's character by using careful observation and great attention to the detail, which was important to the patrons because the sculptures were usually used for private worship at home.
Today, the porcelain sculpture has reached the boundaries of new ideas and forms. The creation of some traditional porcelain sculptures has reached the highest standards, such as Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin), Three Stars (happiness, high position and long life), the Eight Taoist Immortals Crossing the Sea Riding on a Variety of Sea Created and Eighteen Arhats. These vivid and impressive sculptures were created based on figures from traditional Chinese literature.
Print
Save