Reference (Ware Form):
1. Liu Ru-shui. ˇ§Color Figure 25: Meipˇ¦ing vase with blue glaze and decoration of white dragon from Yuan dynastyˇ¨ Appreciation of China, Taipei: Shuchuan, Aug. 2004, p.114.
2. Liu, Jin-cheng. ˇ§Covered meipˇ¦ing vase with underglaze-blue decoration of clouds and dragonˇ¨ The Porcelain from the Cellar of The Yuan Dynasty in Gao'an, Beijing: Zhao hua, Mar. 2006, p.56.
Ladder-shaped mouth, flat rim, rich shoulder, slender waist, slightly flared foot were the classic features of Mepˇ¦ing vase in Yuan dynasty (1279-1368).
Dainty and vivid decoration depicted a flying dragon among long-tail clouds.
Imported pigment presented dazzling dark blue and blackish brown iron rust spots at thick pigment area. Light and dark shades were shown due to iron and other impurities in pigment.
Bluish white glaze showed slight denseness, opacity, and blue tone, especially at thick glazed area like mouth rim and foot.
Reference (Decoration):
1. Ma, Xi-gui. ˇ§Figure 19: dragon decoration in Yuan dynastyˇ¨ Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, Shanghai: Shanghai Gu Ji, 1999, p.53
2. Li, Zhi-yan. ˇ§Jar with underglaze blue decoration of billow, clouds, dragon, and eight treasuresˇ¨ Investment and Collection of Chinese Ceramics, Vol. 2, Beijing: Elephant, Dec. 2004, p.156.
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Dragon decoration was commonly seen and main design for underglaze blue porcelains in Yuan dynasty (1279-1368).
Dragon design in Yuan dynasty looked like slender snake. It had features of lanky neck, buckhorns, open mouth, long tongue, flame-like backing, and hairy legs. Moreover, square or fish scales were drawn on the body and dragon tail were drawn as snake or fish. The claw of dragon was drawn with three or four nails. Five-claw was the patent for loyal court, and folk was forbidden to draw it. In order to distinguish the difference, dragons with five claws were called dragon, and dragons with less than five claws were called python.
The second volume of Wan-li-ye-huo-pian bu-yi written by Shen De-fu of Ming dynasty (1368-1644) stated that ˇ§Python robe was similar to emperorˇ¦s imperial robe, but the python was drawn less than five nailsˇ¨. Thus, five-nail dragon represented imperial court after Yuan dynasty.ˇ¦
Reference (Decoration):
1. Fu, Zheng-chu. Culture of china, Taipei: Fine Arts Society, 1997, 222.
Reference (Decoration):
1. Ye, Zhe-min. ˇ§Figure 156: Dragon decoration in Yuan dynastyˇ¨ A General Survey of Chinese Ceramic During Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing: Forbidden City, Feb. 2003, 242-243.
2. Liu, Liang-you. ˇ§Common decoration of Buddhist emblems on ware of Yuan dynastyˇ¨ Research of Antique Porcelain, Taipei: Youth Culture, Jan. 1988, p.174.
3. Ma, Xi-gui. ˇ§Figure 18: Long-tail mushroom cloudˇ¨ Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, Shanghai: Shanghai Gu Ji, 1999, .p.53.
4. Li, Hui-bing. ˇ§Figure 295: Cloud decoration of Yuan dynastyˇ¨, Appraisement Foundations of Chinese Porcelain, Beijing: Forbidden City, 2001, p.203.
Dragon decoration was often advantaged by long-tail mushroom clouds or long-tail flame clouds.
Decoration of dragons or phoenixes in Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) was often decorated with clouds which stand out dragon or phoenix.
Cloud decoration was smooth and shaped like tadpole. There were two kinds of basic painting. The first one was to draw cloud head looks like irregular petals or mushroom, and fat tail was narrowed to the end. The second one was decorated with same head, but the long tail had two small heads in the beginning and bud-like ending. The whole cloud shaped as blooming flower with two newborn leaves.
This ware was decorated with the first cloud decoration. It shaped as mushroom with long tadpole-tail.
Ware bottom in Yuan dynasty was mostly unglazed and rough. Obvious scraping mark was seen and its ending point was slightly hollow in the center. The outer foot ring was also unglazed and pared off.
There were irregular iron spots as black sesames on slightly flint-red bottom.
Splendid and rich blue presented various shades as Chinese ink painting.
Imported pigment contained high amount of iron, and presented blackish blue under high-temperature reductive flame. The connection of glaze and pigment reduced fusion, and caused diffusion of pigment with iron rust spots.
Some iron rust spots will break through glaze, whose surface feel uneven, and showed silver reflection by side vision.
Reference (Iron rust spots):
1. Liu, Liang-you. Research of Antique Porcelain, Taipei: Youth Culture, Jan. 1988, p.170.
Clay in Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) adopted binary formula, which mixed porcelain stone with Ma-cang clay. The formula increased firing temperature and formation stability.
Porcelain clay in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties was more refined than clay in Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Therefore, grayish white clay has features of many impurities, obvious air holes, and loose structure.