An Overview of Wucai Porcelain from Jingdezhen during the Tianqi and Chongzhen Periods of the Ming Dynasty - Part IV

During the Chongzhen period, wucai porcelain reached a stage of remarkable technical and artistic maturity. Within both the domestic and European markets, however, purely wucai wares from this era are extremely rare, with the majority of surviving examples being blue-and-white or blue-and-white with overglaze enamel. One exceptional example of Chongzhen wucai is the “Covered Jar with the Story of King Wen of Zhou Seeking Talents” (Fig. 19) from the Butler Family Collection in the UK. Distinguished by its refined materials, exquisite craftsmanship, and high-level painting, this piece is likely a domestic-market item.

In contrast to the relative indifference toward wucai in China and Europe, the Japanese market displayed a fervent enthusiasm for these wares during the Chongzhen reign. A significant quantity of wucai porcelain was exported to Japan, often made to suit specific Japanese tastes and uses. These included vessels for the tea ceremony, incense ceremony, and daily use, with the latter forming the bulk of exports.

Thanks to Japan’s long-standing tradition of reverence for the past and careful preservation, many of these wares have survived in pristine condition for over three centuries, enabling modern audiences to study and appreciate the artistry of late Ming wucai in extraordinary detail.

Among the wucai wares commissioned by Japan during the Chongzhen period, a number of blue-and-white wucai pieces stand out for their craftsmanship and stylistic refinement. Representative examples include the “Blue-and-White Wucai Lobed Dish with Figures in a Lotus Pond” (Fig. 20) in the Kyoto National Museum and the “Blue-and-White Wucai Censer with Boys at Play” (Fig. 21) in the Yanshan Art Museum. These works exemplify the high standards of kiln production for the Japanese market, featuring precisely finished foot rims and finely executed painting. They are often inscribed with the four-character seal-script mark “Tianxia Taiping” (“Peace under Heaven”) in underglaze blue, written with notable precision.

A particularly distinctive substyle of blue-and-white wucai also emerged during this period. In these pieces, the decorative outlines are painted in cobalt blue, while the background is entirely filled in with blue as well. Over this blue-and-white groundwork, overglaze enamels are then applied, creating a striking visual interplay between the cobalt outlines and the polychrome colors - an innovative technique unique to this category of wares.

Compared to wucai wares from the Tianqi period, those produced during the Chongzhen reign exhibit more refined and meticulous brushwork, along with a broader and more vibrant color palette. Notable examples of high-quality wucai made for the Japanese market include the “Wucai Dish with Egret and Lotus within Floral Panels on a Brocade Ground” (Fig. 22) in the Kyoto National Museum, the “Wucai Octagonal Bowl with Birds and Flowers in Reserve on a Brocade Ground” (Fig. 23) in the Yanshan Art Museum, and the “Wucai Dish with Figural Scene” (Fig. 24) in the Shanghai Museum.