Five-color porcelain elements of the category

Wucai porcelain is mature in the Ming Dynasty glaze painted porcelain, and therefore also known as "Daming five-color". Due to the technology and materials used, in the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty is also known as "hard color". Five-color porcelain production, is based on the firing of a good white glazed ware, raw materials, alum red outline, only alum red shades of color wash, the other are filled with transparent color; depicting the pattern pattern into the kiln barbecue, by 750 ℃ to 850 ℃ kiln fire barbecue and become; color to red, green, yellow, blue, purple, peacock green, etc., but each piece of artifacts are different, according to the content of the pattern, and some are also decorated with gold-colored. Usually, each piece of work is not necessarily all five colors, works of the Ming Dynasty, some only use two or three colors. According to the needs of the pattern, the right color combination, the same exquisite rich. Qing dynasty qianlong literature "south kiln notes" in: "its five-color is burnt pure with color fill out is also." According to this division, five-color should refer to pure glaze color. Five-color is in the white porcelain has been fired to low-temperature pigments depicting patterns, and then by the second kiln firing, the main feature is a brilliant color. On the color used in five colors, Qing "South Kiln Notes" cloud: "colored with alum red, with soap alum refinery, to Chen for the best; yellow with powdered stone lead, into the alum red with a little; with powdered lead, powdered stone into the copper flowers for green; powdered stone into the green material into the purple; Cui color to Beijing Cui for the top, wide Cui second." These pigments are low-temperature colorants containing mineral elements such as iron, diamond, copper, manganese, antimony and other coloring agents. Wucai is the clever matching of these colors together to form a colorful decorative effect. The color pigment is the basic condition for the achievement of five-color.

The beauty of five-color porcelain depends on the whole process of porcelain making. From billet making, firing, painting, second firing, connected, meticulous. Ming and qing dynasty jingdezhen porcelain production division of labor is very fine, only one painting, "jingdezhen pottery records" records, there are "milk pigment worker, painting kind of work, painting work, color work, color work, color work, burner work". Each worker in his own way, so as to achieve the realm of pure and refined. This division of labor system, a strong guarantee of the quality of the craft of colored porcelain. Five-color in painting color has a strict process regulations. "to paint porcelain materials needed, after a month to apply." Painting color "shall be a variety of pigment research fine tuning, must be familiar with the nature of the color fire, to the eyes of the bright, fine mind, hand quasi for the best. There are three ways to use pigments, one with rue oil, one with glue, and one with water. Cover oil is easy to render, glue is easy to couch wipe, and water color is easy to fill the pile". Detailed description of the materials and methods of painting. These methods are Jingdezhen potters, painters set many years of practical experience, to explore the results of effective technology. Colorful and rich color characteristics, but also the crystallization of the creation of these painting techniques.

In the porcelain making process, burning is the last and most important part. Jingdezhen pottery records" cloud: "white porcelain with color, and then have to burn, in order to solid color. I have the system of bright and dark furnace. Smaller pieces use the bright furnace, the mouth door to the outside, around the charcoal, placed under the iron wheel, supported by an iron fork, with a hook toggle wheel to make the turn, to even the fire. Large pieces are used in the dark furnace, more than three feet high, around the sandwich storage of charcoal, under the eye of the wind, will be stored in the furnace porcelain, the person holding the round plate to avoid the fire, the top of the furnace mud seal, burn day and night for the degree." Burning color, the fire is the most important, high fire, some pigments appear to flow; fire is not enough, the color does not shine, glaze gray. Therefore, the firing process is the key to determine the success or failure of the five-color.

Wu Cai porcelain decoration used by the glaze pigment is very rich, so the performance techniques are also diverse. Five-color painting has its own rigorous process. When the design is good, carefully transfer the drawing to the porcelain, and then use the material pen outline. The material used to hook the line pen, must have "sharp, round, Qi, healthy" four characteristics. "Pointed" refers to the tip of the pen to be sharp and thin, easy to draw points; "round" refers to the pen belly is quite round, easy to store material; "Qi" refers to the tip of the pen dipped in oil and flattened, the top of the pen hairs neatly, outlining thick, "Qi" means that the tip of the brush is dipped in oil and then flattened, and the hairs at the top are neat, which can be used when outlining thick and thin lines. Colorful decorative expression of a wide range of subjects, sketching lines are also distinctive, drawing on Chinese painting brushwork, but not to imitate the lines of Chinese painting, because it uses oil-based materials have their distinctive characteristics.

Color filling and dyeing is another important part of the process of five-color porcelain, color filling, dyeing good or bad, directly affecting the effect of five-color. Five-color filling requirements along the outline of the outline of the pattern of rape, flat and even, pen connection to fill the filling, and to do a little thick pigment, porcelain surface clean. Dyeing, mainly for the alum red color to wash and dye, in order to show the pattern pattern of the depth of the different changes in intensity.

There are three kinds of common defects in the process of five-color porcelain: one is the line bubble stroke, the line of the picture is intermittent, mutilated or shifted, which is mainly due to the improper mixing of oils; the second is the phenomenon of shock explosion, the picture cracks, and even peeling, which is mainly due to the improper preparation of the pigment; the third is the phenomenon of wrinkled color, which is mainly due to the filling of the color is too thick and unevenly produced. These techniques construct the craft characteristics of five-color porcelain, which are the basic elements of the art of five-color porcelain. Five-color porcelain in the Ming Dynasty appeared and flourished by no means by chance, this is entirely ceramic culture by the development of the accumulation of its time was born out of an inevitable phenomenon. Analyze the development of Chinese ceramics since the Song Dynasty, can be seen in the beginning. Song dynasty ceramics more cold and elegant, elegant and lonely; Yuan dynasty porcelain more than too rough and wild; and restored the rule of the Han nationality of the Ming dynasty, after a period of restoration of the essence of Han culture, the pursuit of rigor, the Ming dynasty began to appear in the middle of the pursuit of freedom and freshness of the tendency. Ming dynasty ceramics show all the production tends to daily practical, with civilian as well as the pursuit of real life meaning. Ming dynasty porcelain is different from the Song, also different from the Qing. Generally speaking, the Qing dynasty ceramics is artificial, geometric form, technology first, rigorous and standardized. The Ming dynasty porcelain is natural, smooth, rich in more intense artistic meaning. Ming ceramics in the shape of the pursuit of an artificial nature, not carved, not mandatory, such as bottles, jars, a class of modeling, billet molding in sections, most of the Ming porcelain can be seen in the two parts of the traces, retaining some of the characteristics of the process. Ming porcelain is not as fine as the Qing porcelain, but more some of the natural spirit of the table, intriguing.

Ming Dynasty five-color porcelain decorated with heavy and colorful red color, appear warm and distinct. Ming dynasty dynasties are very love with red-colored ware, which gives the emergence of red-colored ware and glazed five-color development has created important conditions. Ming Dynasty appeared to red colored porcelain, may be closely related to the Hongwu emperor to red for the noble aesthetic sense. Five-color is red, green, yellow, blue and purple as the main color, which is exactly in line with the aesthetic view of the Oriental color. Another important element that constitutes the artistic characteristics of five-color porcelain is its decorative. Five-color porcelain is favored by people mainly because of its rich and bright colors and exquisite patterns. Five-color porcelain decorative subject matter is wide and rich, the content of the picture, whether it is one or several kinds of plants, or with traditional religious and mythological patterns, pattern modeling are to take the "view of the object to take the image of" the way to the performance of the object of the formalization, regularity, order, emphasizing its symbolic significance. In the composition and pattern of the organization presents a form of order, this form of change and unity, contrast and harmony, rhythm and rhyme, all give a sense of order and beauty.

The patterns of five-color porcelain are shown in a decorative language, and its composition, painting method, and the lines used, all pursue a kind of formal beauty law. It is this decorative painting language that forms the unique artistic style of Wucai.