Page 71 - Jindezhen Porcelain Production of the 19th C. by Ellen Huang, Univ. San Diego 2008
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“superintendent” (duli guan) or in active terms such as “resident vice-superintendents”
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(zhuchang xieli). In Qing government communications, officials overseeing kiln
management were spoken of in such predicate terms as, “assist in manufacture” (xiezao),
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or “supervise production” (jianzao). The entire notion of the dutao guan or imperial
kiln commissioner is a result of later studies. The administrative structure governing
Jingdezhen porcelain kilns during the Qing dynasty was not even systematic. Before
1723, the start of the Yongzheng emperor’s reign, administration of the porcelain
production at Jingdezhen belonged to central Qing government officials who did not
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necessarily reside in Jingdezhen. Sometimes, the official assigned to the duties of
managing and supervising porcelain manufacture was actually the Jiangxi governor
general (xunfu). In other instances, they were officials who worked in the Ministry of
Works, Forestry, and Parks. During Kangxi’s time, Zang Yingxuan was sent from the
Imperial Household Storage Office (Guangchusi zhushi ᄿᎷ̡˴ԫ) to supervise
production. In Kangxi’s forty-fourth year (1705), Lang Tingji was appointed Jiangxi
governor and responsible for Jingdezhen kiln production. Beginning with the
Yongzheng reign (1723-1735), Nian Xiyao, as the Grand Minister of the Imperial
Household, assumed the duties of the Huaian customs barrier. Tang Ying was assigned
three years later to live in Jingdezhen as an official reporting to Nian Xiyao. He went as
an official from the Imperial Household as well. Still, throughout Tang’s life, he did not
stay in Jingdezhen. Eight years later in1736, Tang Ying began a series of posts as
customs official at Huaian, Jiujiang, and later at Aohai. As the customs official, Tang
Ying became so busy he requested a helper to assist with his duties, and one was sent in
1741 from the Imperial Household to serve under Tang Ying in the work of porcelain
