Blue and White Underglaze Red Porcelain: Why is it Said "Great Success is Hard to Achieve"?
"Great success is hard to achieve," this proverb aptly describes the arduous firing techniques of blue and white underglaze red porcelain. Blue and white underglaze red, as the name suggests, is a precious ceramic artwork that skillfully integrates the underglaze blue and underglaze red painting techniques. It not only inherits the serene elegance of blue and white porcelain but also possesses the passionate vibrancy of underglaze red. The interplay of blue and red is exceptionally captivating.
The Beauty of Vermilion Hue, A Rarity to Behold
The Chinese have always had a special fondness for the color red, particularly favoring vermilion (朱红 zhū hóng) a refined hue with a slight orange tint. Ancient Chinese believed that vermilion was more sophisticated and elegant than crimson (大红 dà hóng) a more direct or bright red. Crimson can appear somewhat common, while vermilion aligns more with traditional aesthetics, appearing more understated and noble.
Art Born from Fire: The Legendary Craft of Blue and White Underglaze Red
Underglaze red porcelain first emerged in the late Yuan Dynasty and flourished in the early Ming Dynasty. However, due to its extremely difficult firing process and low yield rate, underglaze red gradually declined after the mid Ming period. It wasn't until the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty that the innovation and revival of blue and white underglaze red occurred.
Blue and white underglaze red involves painting blue patterns with cobalt oxide and red patterns with copper oxide on the porcelain body, then applying a transparent glaze and firing at high temperatures in a single firing. Behind this seemingly simple process lies an extremely high level of technical challenge.
"One Success out of Ten Kilns": The Firing Difficulty is Sky High
The red color of underglaze red comes from copper oxide, which volatilizes above 800°C, while the coloring temperature of blue and white porcelain is as high as 1300°C. The difficulty of achieving both blue and red colors in a single firing is therefore imaginable.
As the article mentions, the firing of underglaze red requires strict adherence to every step of the process, from pigment preparation to kiln firing. Even a slight deviation can lead to the scrapping of an entire kiln of porcelain. "One success out of ten kilns, is considered excellent!" This is by no means an exaggeration, but a high summary of the firing difficulty of underglaze red.
Dynastic Glories: Dating and Identifying Blue and White Underglaze Red
Precisely because of the firing difficulty of underglaze red, blue and white underglaze red porcelain from different periods exhibits distinct color characteristics. This provides us with an important basis for identifying and dating pieces today.
- Ming Dynasty - Hongwu Period: Underglaze red porcelain was relatively common, bearing Yuan Dynasty influences, but the coloring was mostly light red or light gray, sometimes even exhibiting underglaze black (釉里黑 yòu lǐ hēi), with few pieces showing pure red.
- Ming Dynasty - Xuande Period: The firing technology of underglaze red reached its peak, displaying a vibrant, gem like red.
- Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Yongzheng Periods: Underglaze red technology revived and matured day by day. The underglaze red of the Yongzheng period had stable and bright red colors, and the pattern lines were clear and exquisite, truly reaching the artistic realm of perfection (炉火纯青 lú huǒ chún qīng).
- Qing Dynasty - Qianlong Period: Underglaze red colors were bright and vibrant, with larger red color blocks, possibly due to the addition of mineral pigments such as iron oxide red and selenium red to the glaze.
The Way of Appreciation: The Beauty of Cohesion, Imperfections Can Also Be Admired
To identify blue and white underglaze red, focus on the following two points:
- Stable Coloration and Consistent Hue: Underglaze red fired in the same kiln should exhibit stable and consistent color effects.
- Clear Pattern Lines: After firing, the lines of underglaze red patterns should remain clear and distinguishable.
In addition, attention should also be paid to the condensation points of underglaze red and the phenomenon of localized blackening caused by imperfect coloration. These seemingly flawed areas are sometimes precisely the basis for identifying authenticity, and even part of their unique charm. As mentioned in the article, comparative research of the book Microscopic Qianlong Official Kiln Blue and White Underglaze Red, and careful observation of the color characteristics on porcelain will help improve our ability to identify them.
Blue and white underglaze red, with its unique artistic charm and extremely high firing difficulty, has become a dazzling pearl in the history of Chinese ceramic art. Appreciating blue and white underglaze red is not only about savoring the beauty of its blue and red interplay, but also about marveling at the wisdom and craftsmanship of ancient artisans, and their arduous path to achieve "great success is hard to achieve."