While imitation can be a form of admiration, there’s a difference between being inspired by someone and outright copying them. True inspiration leads to unique creations, like how Yongzheng created a copy that’s better than the original.
Baoshao Red Bowl with Three Fish Motif 宝烧红三鱼碗
Porcelain | Yongzheng Reign (1723-1735), Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) | Liaoning Provincial Museum Collection, on loan to Nanshan Museum. 瓷器｜清雍正 （在位公元1723年-1735年）｜辽宁省博物馆藏1
After the underglaze red was successfully revived during the Kangxi reign, it reached its historical peak during the Yongzheng reign. During the Yongzheng era, underglaze red was also known as “Baoshao Red” 宝烧红.2
The craftsmanship during this period was more refined compared to the Kangxi reign, with stable coloration and bright, vibrant hues. The Yongzheng imperial kilns produced several varieties of “Baoshao Red” ware, including those with designs of three fish, three fruits, three lingzhi fungi, and five bats symbolizing good fortune.
After the Xuande period this style of decoration was rarely used until it was revived in the Qing dynasty. Yongzheng mark and period bowls of this form and design are held in important museums and private collections worldwide.
Bowl with Three Fish Decoration in Underglaze Copper Red 明成化 釉裏紅三魚紋碗
Porcelain | Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Chenghua reign (r. 1465-1487) | H: 9.0cm, Mouth Diameter: 21.0cm, Base Diameter: 8.0cm | Taipei National Palace Museum Collection. 瓷器｜明成化（公元1465年-1487年）｜高9.0公分 口徑21.0公分 足徑8.0公分｜台北故宮博物院藏3
Designs in the form of underglaze-red silhouettes of animals and fish originated in the Yongle period (r. 1403-1424), when they were generally combined with underglaze-blue decoration, and by the Xuande reign (r. 1426-1435) they were often used on their own.4
Stem Cup with Three Fish Decoration in Overglaze Red 明宣德 礬紅三魚紋高足杯
Porcelain | Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Xuande reign (r. 1426-1435) | H: 8.7cm, Depth: 3.8cm, Mouth Diameter: 9.9cm, Stem Diameter: 4.6cm | Taipei National Palace Museum Collection. 瓷器｜明宣德（公元1426年-1435年）｜高8.7公分 深3.8公分 口徑9.9公分 足徑4.6公分｜台北故宮博物院藏5
In the Xuande reign (1426-35), the potters appear to have realized that painting with a red glaze could work well as long the designs were reduced to simple silhouettes. This is when cups, stem cups and stem bowls with three red fish or three red fruit only, without any accompanying decoration and lacking even the customary underglaze-blue lines around rim and foot, began to be produced.
The admirable, jewel-like colour and texture of these silhouettes was achieved only in the Xuande reign and was not matched again even in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), when these designs were frequently copied, particularly in the Yongzheng (1723-35) and Qianlong (1736-95) eras.
Difference between Underglaze Red 釉里红 and Baoshao Red 宝烧红
| 釉里红 Underglaze Red (perfect in Ming dynasty by Xuande) | 宝烧红 Baoshao Red (perfected in Qing dynasty by Yongzheng) | |
| 纹饰 Pattern | 视觉与触觉上没有明显凸起 No obvious raised texture visually and tactilely | 视觉与触觉上有明显凸起感 Obvious raised texture visually and tactilely |
| 纹饰构成 Pattern Composition | 点线面构成 色泽有深浅 Composed of dots, lines, and surfaces with varying shades of colour | 以面组成 Composed of surfaces |
| 釉 Glaze | 釉下彩稀薄，少晕散、少堆积 Thin underglaze colour, minimal feathering and accumulation | 堆积厚 Thick accumulation |
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes:
- These artefacts were from “Special Exhibition: Refined Radiance of Imperial Porcelain – Masterpieces of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns from the Collection of Liaoning Provincial Museum 榷清陶晖 – 辽宁省博物馆藏清三代官窑瓷器展” at Nanshan Museum 南山博物馆(10.25.2024 – 02.23.2025) ↩︎
- 釉里红从康熙朝恢复烧造后，至雍正朝达到了历史的顶峰。釉里红在雍正朝又称为
“宝烧红”，制作工艺比康熙时更为精细，器物呈色稳定，色调红艳。雍正御密品种有“一仿宣德宝烧，三鱼、三果、三芝（灵芝）、五福（蝙蝠）四种。” [Museum Information Plaque, Jan 2025] ↩︎ - 撇口窄唇，深弧壁，矮圈足。內面純白釉，碗內底畫暗花勾雲紋，外壁以釉裡紅繪三魚。底邊刻劃暗花蓮瓣圖案紋。底有青花書「大明成化年製」雙圈六字楷款。https://digitalarchive.npm.gov.tw/Collection/Detail/2143?dep=U ↩︎
- https://alaintruong2014.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/a-fine-copper-red-three-fish-bowl-yongzheng-mark-and-period/ ↩︎
- 礬紅三魚紋高足杯
高8.7公分 深3.8公分 口徑9.9公分 足徑4.6公分
撇口，弧壁，高足外侈，底中空。外壁白釉上以紅彩飾繪三魚，三魚游向，兩左一右。器內壁純白無紋。胎骨略厚，白釉瑩潔，泛淺青色。器心亦以紅彩於釉上書「大明宣德年製」二行六字楷款。https://digitalarchive.npm.gov.tw/Collection/Detail/916?dep=U ↩︎
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