Chapter 1874: The most top-notch type of modern porcelain
This penholder is a masterpiece of the Northern School's ivory carving art during the Jiajing and Longqing years of the Ming Dynasty.
For such a famous work, it is difficult for Chen Wenzhe to forget it.
And like this, there are many dragon patterns that come from some famous products.
For example, the dragon pattern comes from a blue-glazed white dragon plate from Jingzhen Kiln. This plate has a flat center and a strong white dragon sculpted with white clay on the blue-glazed floor.
The dragon has a thin neck and three claws, with its head raised and writhing.
Other dragon patterns like this can be seen on some other porcelains, such as a piece of blue glaze.
It is a plate, which is a high-temperature cobalt blue glaze porcelain. It is one of the new varieties of Jingzhen kiln in the Yuan Dynasty. It is the predecessor of the Ji blue glaze in the Ming Dynasty.
Only four pieces of this blue-glazed white dragon plate from the Yuan Dynasty have been published.
In addition to this piece collected by the National Palace Museum, the Neon Idemitsu Museum of Art, Osaka Municipal Museum of Oriental Ceramics and the British David Foundation each have one piece in their collection, which shows that it is extremely precious!
The last stone sculpture with dragon pattern should be from a teapot.
The cultural relic is called the Zisha Shoufu style dragon-headed three-legged teapot, with a lip mouth, a dragon-headed flow (the spout is called "liu"), Fu Chihuan (the huan refers to the part on the side of the vessel for hand holding), a round
Bottom, three breasts and nail-shaped feet.
A circle of clouds is engraved on the edge of the lid, and a circle of clouds and thunder is engraved on the black mud in the middle of the belly.
The overall shape of the pot body imitates the popular styles of bronze ware during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
This style combines plane line carvings with bas-reliefs, and the animals with flowing, curved, and convex buttons echo the cloud and thunder patterns on the abdomen, making it simple and elegant.
Even if a dragon pattern like this didn't appear on porcelain, Chen Wenzhe would still be able to recognize it at a glance.
Compared to stone carvings and bronze ware, Chen Wenzhe is more familiar with porcelain.
After all, dragon patterns are used more widely on porcelain.
This can be said to be due to the Chinese people's awe and love for dragons, which led to the dragons being used in various decorative colors on ancient arts and crafts.
There is no solid evidence for what the dragon is, and its image is also uncertain. Over the past thousands of years, the shape of the dragon has changed with different meanings.
And dragons have also spawned different types under the structure of people, such as the scaly dragon, the winged dragon, the horned horned dragon, the hornless chilong, etc.
Any artistic form cannot be separated from the cultural background and form of the time.
The application of dragon patterns on ceramics can be traced back to the Warring States Period more than 2,000 years ago.
In the mid-Yuan Dynasty, the export demand for blue and white matured rapidly, and paintings using blue and white as raw materials could be freely expressed, whether they were large-scale renderings or fine brushstrokes.
This is tantamount to providing a huge creative space for the creation of dragon patterns.
The dragon pattern on the blue and white of the Yuan Dynasty is generally white ground blue and white, with a long and slender body, a small head, a thin neck, a single or double horn, no hair, eagle claws, and swept back flame-like hair on the limbs.
The scales on the dragon body are arc-shaped or obliquely grid-shaped, with three or four claws, a pointed tail or a flame-shaped tail, and the dragon pattern is surrounded by sea water patterns, cloud patterns or flame patterns.
In the Yongle and Xuande periods, the official kiln system tended to be perfected, and the dragon pattern, as a symbol of royal power, highlighted majesty and nobility.
At this time, the dragon's body and limbs were thick, its head was larger, and its hair was spread or erect. Five-clawed dragons were commonly used as the symbol of official kilns.
In the mid-Ming Dynasty, when society was stable and the economy was prosperous, the image of the dragon pattern became elegant and festive.
At this time, the dragon pattern has many square heads, shut up, and the dragon's eyes are looking straight, with lotus ponds and flower bushes.
During the Chenghua period, the flower-bearing dragon spit out flowers from its mouth, with its body curled and its limbs shaped like flowers and leaves, which is a portrayal of social life in which singing and dancing flourished.
During the Jiajing period, the market culture flourished, and the porcelain decorations of this period were characterized by their rich and beautiful decorations.
The dragon pattern becomes more and more slender, with the dragon's head protruding and the tip of its nose drawn in a wishful shape, resembling a pig's mouth, commonly known as a pig-mouthed dragon. The painting has become a little rough, revealing a restless atmosphere.
In the early Qing Dynasty, the dragon pattern still had the legacy of the Ming Dynasty. The collar was raised like a nose, the mouth was open and the tongue was extended, and the big toe of the claws was far apart from the other toes, facing each other like a human body, which was different from the Ming Dynasty.
The dragon pattern occupies a large area of the picture, and the rendering is vivid and thick, with the momentum of swallowing clouds and spitting mist.
During the Kangxi period, the dragon pattern on the head was more detailed, the upper jaw was shorter than the lower jaw, there were thorns on the side of the jaw, the tongue drooped and the tip of the tongue rolled up.
The dragon's beard is slender and curly, its mane is bunched back, its forehead is like a mountain, its expression is ferocious, and its slender hair is visible. It is commonly known as the "Old Dragon".
Starting from the Qianlong period, the patterns on porcelain have been stylized, and many personalized shapes have been transformed into standard legends.
Most of the blue and white dragon patterns in the middle and late Qing Dynasty are replicas made by Qianlong. The craftsmanship is very mature, but it lacks artistry.
The dragon has the power to ascend, which can be said to be outstanding. It can soar into the clouds and ride on the mist. It is capable. Since ancient times, it has been said that a child will become a dragon.
Dragon ornaments also have beautiful meanings such as getting ahead, being extraordinary, having a prosperous career, and having a smooth future.
Therefore, dragon patterns are particularly popular on porcelain.
In modern times, although the imperial power has disappeared, the dragon-patterned vessels have not.
Among the classics of modern art, there is a cup with blue rim enamel and red dragon pattern.
This cup is handmade by craftsmen to pay tribute to the spirit of the dragon. The entire picture is painted with blue and white, alum red and white glaze.
The picture is bright and fresh, the color is elegant, the brushwork is elegant, and the artistic conception is grand.
The outer wall of the cup is painted with alum red, and the dragon scales painted with smooth brush strokes are clearly visible.
The cup has clear layers, flying dragon whiskers, and sharp claws, which express the majesty of the dragon in a real and subtle way.
In addition to the dragon, a dragon ball shines brightly among the auspicious clouds on the other side of the cup.
Dragon beads are the essence of dragon practice, and dragon play beads usually have the meaning of pursuing a better life.
This cup uses enamel craftsmanship. Whether it is the flowing auspicious clouds, the energetic dragon beads, or the majestic dragon, they are all hand-painted by the craftsman.
Therefore, its production process is extremely cumbersome and complex, especially the drawing of the dragon, which is a great test of the craftsman's hand-painting skills.
His brushwork is smooth and free, beautiful yet strong, free and easy, and his lines are smooth.
The dragon has a restrained expression, its five claws are stretched out, the hair on its head is flying behind it, and its round eyes fully express the dragon's calmness and self-power.
On the edge of the mouth, a circle of Tengxiang cloud patterns is drawn, and a gold border is drawn.
The rich patterns on the feet are decorated side by side, the blue and white hair color is thickly ground, and the lines are deep into the fetal bones.
The decoration is clearly visible, naturally smearing to the outer wall of the cup, and auspicious cloud patterns are also painted, which has the meaning of good luck and good luck.
High-end appearance and practicality are not to mention.
It can be said that this is the most top-notch modern porcelain that Chen Wenzhe has ever seen.
Other top-notch items should be considered as national porcelain.
However, Chen Wenzhe had only seen pictures of this type of porcelain, but had never seen the real thing.
This kind of small cup can be bought in the market, but it is very expensive.
Chen Wenzhe is in the porcelain business, so he naturally attaches great importance to high-end porcelain on the market.
It was also when he was learning about the market that he saw this kind of cup.