Page 76 - 2018 Hong Kong Important Chieese Art

YANGCAI BLUE-GROUND LOTUS VASE

A HARMONIOUS SYNTHESIS OF
EAST AND WEST

HAJNI ELIAS

Amongst the porcelains produced by the imperial kilns for the which is consequently called Yang ts’ai or ‘Foreign Coloring’.
Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795), those decorated in the rich Clever artists of proved skill are selected to paint the
spectrum of the yangcai or ‘foreign colours’ stand out for their decoration. The different materials of the colour having been
superior workmanship and luxurious eye-catching decoration. previously finely ground and properly combined, the artist
The present blue-ground, two-handled pear-shaped vase first paints with them upon a slab of white porcelain, which
belongs to this special group of wares with the use of the is fired to test the properties of the colours and the length
distinctive yangcai technique and palette in combination with of firing they require. He is gradually promoted from coarse
an exquisite artistry of painting. Amongst vessels decorated work to fine, and acquires skill by constant practice; a good
in this fashion, this vase stands out, and thus remains an eye, attentive mind, and exact hand being required to attain
extremely rare example, for the use of the deep blue enamel excellence.’ 2
for the ground and for the application of a pair of handles in
Along with new colour tones, western style designs and
the form of ruyi sceptres with the wan symbols suspended on
decorative elements that were fashionable in Europe at the
a red ribbon. Only four yangcai vases with ruyi-shaped handles
time were also introduced to Chinese artists. For example, the
are known from the Qing court collection: an identical vase,
small pearl-like roundels dispersed amongst the lotus scroll
possibly the pair to the present example, sold at Christie’s
decoration seen on the present vase are taken from Western
Hong Kong, 28th April 1997, lot 755; and three are in the Place
floral decoration found on baroque-style furnishings. On the
Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of
vase they are skilfully shaded to give them a distinct three-
Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonne
dimensional quality that makes them appear jewel-like. Thus,
Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong,
effective employment of the yangcai allowed Chinese potters
1999, pl. 118, a green-ground vase with lotus scroll painting
to create a much wider range of colours than previously
(fig. 1); pl. 126, a double-gourd form purple-ground vase with
possible and added a new decorative technique to their
lotus scroll painting; and pl. 127, another purple-ground vase
established repertoire.
with similar lotus scroll decoration (fig. 2). Deep blue-ground
yangcai vases remain extremely rare in any museum and The Qianlong Emperor delighted in challenging his artists
private collections, although they are mentioned in the Qing and artisans in the Imperial Workshops to create innovative
Imperial Porcelain records which will be discussed later. designs, often testing their ability to produce pieces that
explored the boundary between illusion and reality. The
The application of the yangcai, initially introduced to the
yangcai allowed, for the first time in the history of Chinese
Imperial Workshops at the Qing court by European Jesuit
ceramics production, the creation of multi coloured brocade-
craftsmen, and subsequently embraced by Tang Ying (1682-
like fields and borders in a variety of floral designs on a
1756), China’s unsurpassed kiln supervisor at Jingdezhen,
sgraffiato or mock-sgraffiato ground. The illusion achieved
confirms the extraordinary advancements made possible in
makes the surface of the vase appear as soft and sumptuous
ceramics production when Eastern aesthetics and Western
as the finest embroidered silk brocade. Yangcai also helped
technology were synthesised.
incorporate Western-style shading on compositions, a
The term yangcai was first mentioned in 1735 by Tang Ying technique especially admired by the Qianlong Emperor in the
in his work, the Tao wu shu lue beiji [Records of Narrated paintings of Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), the Italian
Summaries of Porcelain Matters], and later included in the Jesuit missionary who served as an artist at the court and
ceramics manual by Lan Pu titled, Jingdezhen taolu [Records who painted in a style that skilfully fused Western and Chinese
of the Potteries of Jingdezhen], published in 1815. Tang writes traditions.
as follows, ‘Yangcai household porcelains [are made with
What made yangcai pieces even more prized was their limited
the application of] a new technique borrowed from Western
number, as they were often produced as unique items or as
painting methods during this dynasty. [Amongst the paintings
pairs and never in larger quantities or series. Furthermore, we
of] figures, landscapes, flowers and plumage, there are none
know from the Qing imperial records that blue-ground yangcai
1
that are not fine and enthralling.’ On the application of the
vases were exceptionally rare within this group of wares and
yangcai palette, in 1744, he wrote as follows,
were made from the mid-18th century for only a few years. The
‘Both round wares and vases of white porcelain are painted in Qing gong ciqi dang’an quanji [Complete Records on Porcelain
enamel colours in a style imitated from Western foreigners,