Palace Museum displays glory days of Ming porcelain

“The decorative patterns became more complicated,” Lyu says. “Colors got flamboyant, sizes grew bigger, and bizarre shapes were favored-reflective of the economic prosperity of the time and the indulgent lives people led.”

In the late Ming Dynasty, capitalism also guided tastes in ceramics, but the changes were such that the decorative elements in the later Ming era were not as “exquisite” as earlier examples. In addition, there were changes in the management system of the imperial kiln in Jingdezhen at the time.

In the early years of the kiln, the studios making royal porcelain were separated from the production of items designated for general use. But the porcelain-making technique had improved in general by the time of Emperor Jiajing’s reign, and the turnover of the royal kiln could not meet the demand.

“Some privately-owned kilns were finally given the green light to make porcelain for the emperor (Jiajing) under official supervision,” Lyu says. “Some samples of these are also being exhibited.”

Work at the imperial kiln was officially halted in 1603, and product contracts were given to privately-owned kilns. It was reopened 80 years later during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Not all exhibits are intact, and some are excavated broken porcelain pieces. Lyu says they are equally important references for researchers to have a whole picture of the industry as it was back then.

Studies of unearthed relics from the royal kiln show the existence of at least 37 kinds of porcelain ware during Jiajing’s rule, indicating the boom in ceramics, as well as craftsmanship. A type of “melon skin porcelain”, which is glazed in green color and looks like a watermelon, reached its peak popularity in the Jiajing era, even though it appeared in the early Ming Dynasty.

A policy decision by Emperor Longqing influenced China’s communication with the world. Although he ruled for just five years, he lifted a longtime official ban on overseas trade shortly after taking power.

“That gave different civilizations a chance to communicate with each other through the marine trade route,” Gu Yucai, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Nov 6.

“That reflects the inclusiveness of Chinese culture, and, more importantly, influenced the handicraft industry of other countries.”

Gu said porcelain ware from Wanli’s reign was later widely used by foreign studios as models to make colorful ceramics, as a result of the open trading channels.

If you go

Through Feb 22 (Mondays closed)

Jingren Gong (Palace of Great Benevolence), Palace Museum, 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng district, Beijing

Opening hours: 8:30 am to 5 pm (entry stops at 4:10 pm)

For entry tickets to the museum, reserve online via the official site en.dpm.org.cn. Each ticket costs 40 yuan ($5.8), with no extra charge for the exhibition.