Page 103 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

CHAPTER 2 The Production of Enamelled Porcelain and Knowledge Transfer

relating to this, which have caused difficulty in addressing this issue. Yet the

technological connection among enamelled copperware, enamelled porcelain as well

as enamelled glass certainly existed. Only with further scientific examinations of the

enamel wares of each category can we find more details of these interactions.

2.5.3. Jingdezhen and Canton

Although it is now not possible to establish a connection between enamel copperwares

and enamelled porcelain, it may be appropriate to look in another direction to explain

their connections.

A new colour that reappeared on Jingdezhen porcelain in the late 17th century.

François Xavier d’Entrecolles mentioned that Jingdezhen craftsmen had discovered

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the secret of painting with an over-glaze blue. This colour differed from others, in

that it was made from a pulverized blue glass that was also used at the time as enamel

on metal. This over-glaze blue was described in Chinese sources as ‘blue’ (Cui, 翠).

This blue enamel could be used to produce shades from blue to dark purple. The

material mentioned in the same letter usually came from Canton and Beijing, with the

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one from Beijing being much better than Canton. Although the source of Canton
blue colour remains uncertain, d’Entrecolles’s descriptions indicated that Canton was

a supply of enamel colours for enamelled porcelain production at Jingdezhen.

Ceramic scientists started to explore the development of rose pink by analysing

the structure of the enamels. However, the examined objects from their research were

67 Cited in Emily Curtis, Glass Exchange, pp.107-108 , Lettres édifiantes et Curieuses: écrutes
de missions érangerès (1717-76), vol.16 (Paris: N. Le Clare, 34 vols.), pp.318-67. 1722.
t
68 Ibid.
87