1Unit 16 PorcelainCalling Card of Chinese Culture2p Lead-inp Text studyp ExercisesContent3Lead-in Do you know the five famous kilns (窑) in Song Dynasty?Five famous kilns are the Jun, Ding, Guan, Ge, and Ru.42.1 Introduction2.2 Natures Craft2.3 Pure Blue-and-White Porcelain2.4 A Subtle and Reserved WorldText study2.5 Shape and Imagery5Introduction In English, the country and “porcelain” share the same name”China”. This proves that Europeans have long known of Chinas relationship to porcelain. Porcelain found its way to Europe in the 15th century, occupying an important position in the exchanges between China and other countries. 6Introduction Porcelain garnered a good reputation for China for its sophistication and elegance. It played an important role in the wave of the European idealization of China during the 17th and18th centuries.7 Around the 1st century, porcelain production first emerged in China. By the Song Dynasty it had become mature. Song-dynasty porcelain represented the acme (顶峰) of Chinese porcelain technique. Introduction8Introduction Chinese porcelain is cherish for its serene color, crystal paste, graceful designs, and ingenious forms. It can be regarded as the calling card of Chinese culture.9 crackling: a porcelain terminology The crackles occurred during kilning due to flawed workmanship, but latter on crackleware become a craze (时尚) in Song Dynasty, and was passed down to this very day.Natures Craft10 The Ge Kiln (located in present-day Longquan, Zhejiang Province) was a typical kiln of the Song Dynasty that produced crackleware.Natures Craft11 Crakleware today is one of the typical Chinese porcelain styles. The interest in crackleware lies in its naturally produced and unpredictable patterns.Natures Craft12 Pure and elegant beauty is the goal that porcelain pursues, and this ideal is best explained in the production of blue-and-white porcelain.Pure Blue-and-White Porcelain13 Chinese-made blue-and-white porcelain ware emerged long before the founding of the Tang Dynasty. It was not until the Yuan Dynasty that this type of porcelain came to be produced in quantity, with the attendant masterpieces. The Ming Dynasty witnessed the maturity of the art, and a large number of valuable pieces were produced in this period.Pure Blue-and-White Porcelain14 Jingdezhen became the porcelain-producing center in the Yuan Dynasty and the subsequent Ming Dynasty, the imperial kilns were established here. Blue-and-white porcelain produced here is the most representative of Chinese porcelain.Pure Blue-and-White Porcelain15 Blue-and-white porcelain accords well with the culture and aesthetic spirit Chinese people have long pursuedof simplicity, unaffectedness and ease. It displays a world of conciseness and elegance, serenity and purity.Pure Blue-and-White Porcelain16Most Chinese porcelain ware embodies the characteristics of Confucian aesthetics. In its pursuit of gentleness and refinement one senses the aesthetic propensities (倾向) of Confucianism; through its implicit and reserved artistic style one discovers the reserved nature of Confucian aesthetics.A Subtle and Reserved World17 The Song Dynasty was a renaissance period for Confucianism, and also a period of maturity in porcelain production. The increased popularity of Confucianism advanced the remarkable development of Song-dynasty porcelain production, while its aesthetic standards gave enlightenment to porcelain craftspeople. The served style in porcelain which emphasizes internal beauty has been passed down since Song Dynasty.A Subtle and Reserved World18 Another representative of a reserved style is underglaze red porcelain, one of the two types of porcelain developed to its maturity in Jingdezhen during the Yuan Dynasty. Difficult to produce, underglaze red is not as popular as blue-and-white porcelain, though it displays a high artistic taste.A Subtle and Reserved World19The design of this precious underglaze red vase is drawn in underglaze red, and at the lower section is a circular design of lotus petals. Palm trees, rocks and groves of bamboo, drawn on the belly of the vase, produce a graceful landscape painting with profound allusions.A Subtle and Reserved World20Porcelain is a comprehensive art, and form is as important to a good piece of porcelain as it is to a fine piece of sculpture. Shape and Imagery21Shape and ImageryWhite porcelain The most famous white porcelain was produced in the Ding Kiln of the Song Dynasty, which exerted a great influence on later white porcelain products. A small white porcelain container produced during the Qing Dynastys Daoguang reign (1821-1850) is such a piece in the white series. 22 Chinese porcelain also pursues painting effects. Porcelain ware usually contains images from landscapes as well as bird-and-flower paintings. Most porcelain craftspeople were also adept (擅长的) at painting. Shape and Imagery23For Ming- and Qing-dynasty porcelain ware, elegance in shape, intriguing use of color, fine texture, and v