Bottom: Xu Chen Chai Kiln Collection

Capacity: 120cc

Bowl mouth diameter: 9.4cm

Craftsmanship: Jingdezhen hand-painted blue and white

feature:

Blue and white porcelain is an underglaze color. After the cobalt oxide pigment is colored, a layer of glass glaze is applied and fired at a high temperature of about 1,400 degrees. During the process, the high temperature will crystallize the glass glaze and isolate the cobalt material, so the underglaze blue and white will not release toxic and harmful substances.

Traditional hand-painted blue and white requires first composing the design, using a pencil to outline the pattern and then painting. In the final step of dividing the water, the blue and white material will cover the pencil marks. Once burned at high temperature, all traces will disappear.

Because the blue and white material is very special, it is difficult or impossible to erase once the pen is written, unless the blue and white material is scraped off with a blade. If the painting on the body is relatively thin, there is a chance that something close to the painting will be scraped off. If the green body is relatively thin, it is easy to scratch the green body. Only masters with rich experience can master the techniques.

Water separation requires mastering the entire rendering process, from thick to light, and water separation at all levels must be mastered. Blue and white materials are different from the color dyes of ordinary paintings. The colors before and after firing are completely different. The shade of blue and white materials completely depends on the craftsmanship. Thanks to the master's experience in modulation and control, the colors of the pictures after water separation will look similar before being burned. After being burned, the transition of colors will highlight many layers.

About the author

Teacher Hu Jiliang is the inheritor of Jingdezhen’s intangible cultural heritage, a national first-class technician, and a provincial senior arts and crafts artist. He graduated from Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute in 2006. After graduation, he studied under the blue and white master Wang Maijiu and learned blue and white painting techniques.

Later, he learned blue and white antique production techniques from his father Hu Yongqing, and gained a unique understanding of blue and white painting. He combined modern and antique painting techniques, and his works were collected by many museums.