Page 143 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

taste filtered down and became inspiration for general production of porcelain, it is most

visible within imperial wares (guanyao 官窯). Imperial porcelain is a vessel made for the

emperor, often referred to as an official ware.

An aspect of court taste that must be established is the direct effect that imperial

styles had on the porcelain that was being produced. The main center for porcelain

production throughout Chinese history was the kilns at Jingdezhen. The city was

renowned for its high-caliber porcelain. Several factors contributed to this prestigious

title: Jingdezhen had an abundance of raw materials required for porcelain production, as

well as a highly organized and skilled workforce, these workers utilized advanced kiln

technology, and they possessed direct imperial patronage. These factors contributed to

Jingdezhen becoming the central powerhouse of porcelain. By 1606, more than 10,000

workers maintained the kilns in order to fulfill imperial orders. The kilns continued to

expand, and by 1712 the city of Jingdezhen had more than 3,000 kilns. 178 The majority

of this industrial expansion was a result of imperial patronage. Emperors continually

ordered porcelain, which served both utilitarian and aesthetic purposes and demonstrated

the emperors’ sovereignty to all of China. The scale at which these orders were

commissioned undoubtedly influenced other wares that were produced within

Jingdezhen, creating a distinct connection between the court taste and what was being

produced for the West.

Collecting eventually spread beyond China’s emperor, with texts dating to the

Song dynasty (960–1279) revealing that individuals other than the reigning emperor were

178 Ellen Huang, “China’s China: Jingdezhen Porcelain and the Production of Art in the
Nineteenth Century” (PhD dissertation, UC San Diego, 2008).

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