Chapter 1628 Enamel Zhonger
Because this pair of small cups is the product of the peak period of the development of ancient Chinese porcelain, the leader in painted porcelain, enamel color.
Enamel porcelain was first created in the late Kangxi period. Under the instructions of Emperor Kangxi, the metal body painting enamel technique introduced from Europe was successfully transplanted to the porcelain body, and a new variety of overglaze colored porcelain was created. It reached its peak during the Yongzheng period, and the production was the largest during the Qianlong period, and then declined rapidly. From the late Qianlong period, it was rarely produced.
Beginning in the 19th year of Kangxi’s reign, the Forbidden City established an enamel workshop in the Wuying Hall. Later, in the 57th year of Kangxi’s reign, it was moved to the Yangxin Hall. At the beginning, it mainly produced copper-bodied filigree enamels and Very little enamel.
The creation and firing of enamel-colored porcelain is closely related to Emperor Kangxi's love for painted enamel, who was keen on Western technology and art.
In the 22nd year of Kangxi's reign, the Qing government abolished the maritime ban after reunifying Taiwan. European metal-embossed enamelware, as valuable crafts, began to be brought to Guangzhou by missionaries to China and presented as tribute to the inner court.
With their fine painting techniques and gorgeous decorative styles, these imported products were loved by the royal aristocrats and local dignitaries in Guangzhou. From the private letters exchanged between European missionaries and the Pope at that time, we know that Emperor Kangxi was also very interested in this kind of foreign gadgets and tried to make Chinese enamel craftsmen master this technology.
In the 49th year of Kangxi, the Italian missionary Ma Guoxian came to China. From then on, he spent thirteen years in the capital as a Catholic missionary and a court painter of the Qing Dynasty.
In the fifty-fifth year of Kangxi, Ma Guoxian wrote a letter back to his country from Changchun Garden: "The emperor became obsessed with European enamel paintings and introduced them to the palace building office as much as possible. The emperor saw that from Europe After bringing the paints for painting porcelain and several large pieces of enamelware, I considered making some utensils."
"The Emperor. We ordered European painters to paint enamel. We considered that we would have to work with those humble craftsmen from morning to night, so we made excuses that we had never learned to paint enamel, and we also made up our minds not to learn this art on purpose. It was extremely clumsy, so the emperor gave up the order and we were spared from being slaves.”
However, Ma Guoxian was unwilling, which did not mean that others were unwilling. Soon, as painters and enamel craftsmen from Guangzhou and Europe entered the inner court to participate in guiding the production of enamelware in the manufacturing office, and even operated it themselves, the production of metal-embroidered enamelware showed a new trend. A scene of prosperity.
At that time, there were only two enamel craftsmen from Guangdong, three Westerners, two enamel craftsmen and two apprentices who were recommended by Yang Lin, the governor of Guangzhou, to enter the inner court.
After the enamel of Wuying Hall was changed and returned to Yangxin Hall, a new supervisor was added. Later, the French enamel artist Chen Zhongxin was summoned to the inner court to guide the production of enamelware.
With the joint efforts of Chinese and foreign craftsmen, the Architectural Enamel Works Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs quickly mastered the firing technology of metal body painting enamel, and fired a large number of metal body painting enamels with a strong palace charm. Painted enamelware.
Since the porcelain firing technology of Jingde Imperial Kiln Factory reached a very high level at this time, especially the multicolored porcelain fired at that time, the texture was firm, the glaze was bright, and the colors were gorgeous. Painting on enamel is similar to painting on enamel. Therefore, under the instruction of Kangxi, the enamel maker of the Manufacturing Office began to try to transplant this technique to porcelain bodies.
This initiative was successful, so porcelain body painted enamel was born, which is commonly known as enamel-colored porcelain.
After Emperor Yongzheng came to the throne, he loved the enamel paintings in the palace even more than Emperor Kangxi. He not only strengthened management and supervision, but also liked to personally participate in the specific design of the paintings.
During this period, Jingde had a very powerful pottery supervisor. This potter who made special contributions to China's porcelain industry in the Qing Dynasty was named Tang Ying. The first step in the production of enamel is to select porcelain with perfect shape and pure white like snow and transport it to the capital for burning enamel. Kangxi's porcelain-bodied painted enamelware requires the porcelain to be fired from the Jingdezhen Royal Kiln Factory, then to the palace manufacturing office to paint the enamel pattern, and then to be baked in a low-temperature small kiln to form the so-called color-painted enamel porcelain.
Because the quality of the carcass is not good enough, so when the carcass is delivered plain, yellow, carmine, etc. must be used as the base, and then the patterns are drawn. Its painting method is also transplanted from the copper body painting enamel.
During Tang Ying's tenure, in addition to completing the task of firing porcelain, he was also specifically responsible for providing high-quality white porcelain bodies to the inner palace enamel makers.
The porcelain body supervised by Tang Ying is the pinnacle of the porcelain body of enamelware. It has the characteristics of being light-transmissive and as delicate as fat. It is much lighter and whiter than the Kangxi before it and the Qianlong after it. .
And in Beijing, in the sixth year of Yongzheng's reign, Prince Yi Yunxiang, the die-hard brother of Emperor Yongzheng, who was also known as the old thirteenth in major TV series in later generations, became the presiding officer of the construction office and other important offices. The first in command of Fei Que.
Lao Shisan is indeed very capable. In the seventh year of Yongzheng's reign, the first innovation of enamelware was completed, which solved the problem of painting with high white glaze. From then on, enamel color can be painted directly on high white glaze porcelain. above. Combined with the fact that the Jingde Imperial Kiln Factory had just developed and fired exquisite and flawless high-white glazed porcelain, it allowed craftsmen in the capital to unleash their artistic creativity and created the possibility of greatly increasing the artistic value of Yongzheng's enamel-colored porcelain.
The last thing left is the issue of color.
During the Kangxi period and the early Yongzheng period, the manufacturing office was not yet able to refine the color materials for enamel on its own, so many colors had to be imported. More colors could be created by mixing different color materials.
The color material refining plan finally succeeded in refining eighteen colors, which achieved a breakthrough in the production and firing of Yongzheng enamel colored porcelain.
On July 12, the sixth year of Yongzheng's reign, a letter from the Old Summer Palace was included in the Qing palace schedule: On the tenth of the first month of this month, Prince Yi handed over Western enamel materials: moon white, white, yellow, green, dark bright green , light blue, pine yellow, light bright green, black, a total of nine types. New enamel materials: soft white, fragrant color, light pine yellow, lotus root color, light green, sauce color, dark grape color, bronze color, pine yellow, a total of nine types.
Eighteen kinds of pigments in total.
Since the enamel pigment did not contain red pigment, Emperor Yongzheng and Prince Yi continued to urge, and finally, under the research of Guangdong craftsman Pan Chun, they successfully developed a " Pink gold and red copper material", a pink enamel material.
Later, the red color became more and more pure, and Yongzheng and Prince Yi should be very proud of it, because on the porcelain painted with red flowers in the Yongzheng Dynasty, two seals must be seen - "Jincheng" and "Xuying".
Due to the emperor's preference, the painters of the Palace Painting Academy during the Yongzheng Dynasty fully intervened in the picture design of enamel porcelain, changing the pure pattern decoration of the Kangxi Dynasty with flowers but no birds, and birds without flowers, and presented A new scene of green mountains, green waters, birds singing and fragrance of flowers. Its layout and rules are taken from traditional Chinese paintings, integrating poetry, calligraphy, painting and sealing. The enamel-colored porcelain suddenly becomes delicate in painting and elegant in style.
Many of these painters are famous. During the Kang and Yong dynasties, the famous ones include: Wang Yuanqi, Jiang Tingxi, Lang Shining, Leng Mei, Tang Dai, Gao Qipei, Yuan Jiang, Dong Bangda, Jin Tingbiao, Li Shizhuo, Shen Hui, Yuan Ying, Wang Jingming, Qian Weicheng, etc.