Unite16Porcelain—CallingCardofChineseCulture•InEnglish,thecountryandporcelainsharethesamename--China.ThisprovesthatEuropeanshavelongknownofChina’srelationshiptoporcelain.PorcelainfounditswaytoEuropeinthe15thcentury,occupyinganimportantpositionintheexchangesbetweenChinaandothercountries.TheKeiselRandyMuseuminGermanyhousesablue-and-whitebowldatingbacktotheMingDynasty.Porcelaingarnered(收集)agoodreputationforChinaforitssophisticationandelegance,andplayedanimportantroleinthewaveoftheEuropeanidealizationofChinaduringthe17thand18thcenturies.Intherococo(洛可可式)stylepopularinEuropeofthattime,onecouldsense,fromtimetotime,theinfluenceofChinesevogue(时髦)representedbyChina'sstylesofporcelainandgardens.•PorcelainisofgreatsignificanceinthehistoryofChinesecivilization.Potterywasthepredecessor(前任)ofporcelain,whileglazed(上釉的)potterywasthebasisfortheemergenceofporcelain.Aroundthefirstcentury,porcelainproductionfirstemergedinChina,andbytheSongDynastyithadbecomemature.Song-Dynastyporcelainrepresentedtheacme(顶峰)ofChineseporcelaintechnique.Fivefamouskilns(窑),theJun,Ding,Guan,GeandRu,wereallcreativeandoriginalintheirrespectiveproducts,andtheirporcelainwarehasbeenintimatedbylatergenerationsthroughtouttheages.IntheYuanDynasty,JingdezhenbecamethecenteroftheChineseporcelainindustry.•Chineseporcelainischerishedforitsserene(宁静的)color,crystalpaste,gracefuldesigns,andingeniousforms--aquestofgenerationsofcraftspeople.Bronzeware,potteryandporcelainareallpopularwiththeChinesepeople,thoughtheirstylesvarywidely.Potteryissimpleandunsophisiticated,whilebronzewaresuggestssolemnity(庄严),butporcelainisthemostexquisiteandelegant.•PorcelaincanberegardedasthecallingcardofChineseculture.Thiscallingcardrepresentsthecrystallization(结晶)ofChinesecultureandtheembodimentoftheaestheticandpursuitsoftheChinesepeople.Nature'sCraft•AnyonefamiliarwithChineseporcelainknowsthatthesurfaceofsomeporcelainwareiscoveredwithirregularcracks.Thecracksoccurredduringkilningduetoflawedworkmanship,butastimewentoncracklewarebecameacraze(时尚)duringtheSongDynasty,andwaspasseddowntotoday.CracklewaretodayisoneofthetypicalChineseporcelainstyles.•Chinesepeoplelovecracklewarebecausetheylovenature'suniquecraft.Porcelainisanartificialart,butwhatitmostdefinesisnothingmorethanartificiality.Anyman-madecrackleswouldbemechanicalandunnaturalandbetrayacertainartifice(欺骗),definitelynomatchfornaturallycraftedcrackles.哥窑鱼耳炉元•TheTaipeiPalaceMuseumhasapieceofcracklewareproducedintheGeKilnoftheYuanDynasty.•Itisanincense(香)burnerwithfish-shapedhandles.Thinandfinecracklesonthecream-coloredglazeareevocativeofatreeleaf,witharteriesandveinsstretching,intertwinedfreelyandvibrantlyinit.PureBlue-and-whitePorcelain•Blue-and-whiteporcelainisatypicalartifactofporcelaininChina.AmongtheporcelainexportedduringtheMingandQingDynasties,80percentwasblue-and-white.Chinese-madeblue-and-whiteporcelainwareemergedlongbeforetheTangDynasty,butitwasnotuntiltheYuanDynastythatthistypeofporcelaincametobeproducedinquantity,withtheattendantmasterpieces.TheMingDynastywitnessedthematurityoftheart,andalargenumberofvaluablepieceswereproducedinthisperiod.Jingdezhen,asmalltownthatcreatedtheenchantingblue-and-whiteporcelainoftheYuanDynasty,becameitsporcelain-producingcenter;andinthesubsequentMingDynasty,theimperialkilnswereestablishedhere.Blue-and-whiteporcelainisnowthemostrepresentativeofChineseporcelain.Toproduceblue-and-whiteporcelain,cobalt(钴)oxide(氧化物)isrequisite.itisemployedtodrawonthewhiteroughcast(毛坯)beforeglazeisapplied.Afteringkilningatahightemperature,theroughcastturnsintoblue-and-whiteporcelain,sincecobaltoxideturnsbluewithheat.Thewhitesurfacewithbluepatternsandashinysheen(光泽)ofgrazeproducesapure,elegantandtransparenteffect.IntheTaipei“PalaceMuseum”,thereisabowlwithbranch-and-flowerpattern,producedintheXuandereign(1426-1435)oftheMingDynasty.Itsshapedemonstratesaprimitivesimplicity,whileitsfinetextureiswhitewithatouchofblue.Inawell-balancedcomposition,theflowersarevividlydrawnwithsoftandserenelines,whiletheblueintermingles(混合)withthewhite,producingaharmonious,effervescent(欢腾的)effect.把莲花卉四季纹盘明宣德Platewithflowers-of-four-seasonsdesign,Xuandereign,MingDynasty•TheTaipei“PalaceMuseum”housesanotherpieceofblue-and-whiteporcelainware—aplatewithaflowers-of-four-seasonsdesign,alsomadeintheXuandereignoftheMingDynasty.Theinterioroftheplatefeathers13flowers,includingchrysanthemum,lotus,gardenia(栀子花),pomegranate(石榴),Chineseherbaceous(草本的)peony,hibiscus(木槿),andcamellia;whileitsexteriorisdecoratedwithseveralflowers.Inthecenteroftheplatesitsthelotus—thedivineflowerofBuddhismandcommonlyusedmotif(主题)inChineseporcelain.Thewhiteplatelookscrystalclear,andalthoughthedesignsarecomplicated,thepurewhitecolorandthegracefulbluematcheachother,toproduceanelegant,sophisticatedeffect.•Blue-and-whiteporcelainoccupiesaprominentpositionintheChineseporcelainindustry,foritaccordswellwiththecultureandaestheticspiritChinesepeoplehavelongpursued—ofsimplicity,unaffectednessandease.•Chinesepeoplebelievethatultimatebeautyissimpleandnatural;anythingthatisaffectedandover-polish