Page 128 - Ming_China_Courts_and_Contacts_1400_1450 Craig lunas

Plate 13.7 Yellow-glazed porcelain
dish, Yongle period, 1403–24,
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province.
Height 5.7cm, diameter 31.7cm. Sir
Percival David Collection, PDF 582

much attention to this unprecedented decision. It is also the yellow glazes in the Hongwu and Yongle period can be
reason why scholars who work on the development of ritual regarded as important. A Yongle-period yellow glazed dish
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vessels from the Tang dynasty onwards regard the Ming in the Percival David Collection has gold painted lines on
to early Qing as a cul-de-sac. Yet there are some traces of the rim (Pl. 13.7), showing its connection with metalware
distinction that we can find on Ming ceramics. Previous and so it is likely to have served as a ritual vessel.
scholars have also provided us with some hints. 30 Decoration is a key reference point in differentiating
Does size of the vessels matter? Wang Guangyao 王光堯 ritual vessels from common wares, and may also be an
from the Palace Museum suggested that the decision which aspect that engages with the viewer more directly.
he called ‘the ceramification of ritual vessels’ (lijiqi ciqihua Interestingly, if we look closer, we discover an animal image
禮祭器瓷器化) and the ‘daily-utensilification of ritual on the so-called xizun 犧尊 (animal-shaped wine vessel) in
vessels’ (lijiqi riyongqihua 禮祭器日用器化), decreed by the the illustration of ritual at the Circular Mound Altar (Pl.
court to the princely courts, local provincial governments 13.2, below right); Hsieh Ming-liang has referred this to
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and Confucius temples, reminds us to pay attention to those with similar decorations. An example is the blue-
large-sized porcelains of the early Ming period for possible glazed jar of the Jiajing period from the Baur Foundation
examples of ritual vessels, as no apparent bronze ritual with an incised cow-like animal on the belly mentioned
vessels can be identified. We also realise that the large- earlier (see Pl. 13.5). We find more examples of slightly
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sized dishes of the early Ming period were not only seen in different versions from the Hongzhi 弘治 period (1488–
Jingdezhen wares but also in Longquan celadon, with 1505), with gold painting (Pl. 13.8). And we might also cite
similar designs. an example of a yellow-glazed zhuzun 著尊, a jar with animal
In addition, colour is undoubtedly a good angle for heads on two sides near the neck, the gold-painted lines
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investigation as we have both documents and objects to referring to metal (Pl. 13.9). A blue-glazed jar of the Jiajing
support it. Monochrome glazes were introduced to mark the period with a mountain design on the belly should be
ritual vessels for the worship of different gods. The regarded as a relevant ritual vessel. It stands for the shanzun
regulations of the Da Ming huidian state that monochrome 山尊 (‘mountain’ wine vessel), a type of vase with an
wares of blue, yellow, red and white glazes are to be used for ‘mountain’ image and part of a set of six vases, liuzun 六尊,
the worship of Heaven, Earth, the Sun and the Moon. One used for offering wine (Pl. 13.10).
would also agree that the urgent demand for monochrome From the above discussion, we have learned that the
glazes must have contributed to the technological unprecedented decision on ritual vessels was launched
advancement at the Jingdezhen imperial kiln in order to during the early Ming (late 14th century) ritual reform and
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meet the regulations and demand. The emergence of its influence lasted for almost 400 years, until the early

118 | Ming China: Courts and Contacts 1400–1450