Reference (Ware form):

1.      Li, Hui-bing. “Figure 271: flask with four handles and underglaze-blue decoration” Appraisement Foundations of Chinese Porcelain, Beijing: Forbidden City, 2001, p.194.

2.   Liu, Ru-shui. “Figure 3-2: ware form of Yuan    dynasty”, Appreciation of China, 2nd Ed, Taipei: Shuchuan, Aug. 2004, p.88.

Flask with four handles presented the most distinguishing feature in Yuan dynasty. The ware form was innovative and was not produced in other dynasties. In Yuan dynasty, this ware form with underglaze-blue and underglaze-red decorations was produced mostly by Jingdezhen, but few of them were produced by Long-quan kiln and Ci-zhou kiln.  

The features of underglaze-blue porcelains in Yuan dynasty carried features of former dynasty and added creative changes, which were large ware, thick clay, heavy weight.  

This ware had traits of small mouth, curve lips, slide shoulder, and flat rectangle body. Natural and bold decoration performed underglaze-blue patterns of dragons in pursuit of pearl, chrysanthemum scrolls, double phoenixes, billows, clouds and others on ware body. Powerful and vivid dragon showed sharp three claws and dragon horns as deer horns.  

Reference (Ware form):

1. Li, Hui-bing. Appraisement Foundations of Chinese Porcelain, Beijing: Forbidden City, 2001, 194-195.

2. Ma, Xi-gui. Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, Shanghai: Shanghai Gu Ji, 1999, 30-32.

Reference (Decoration):

1.      Li, Hui-bing. “Figure 271: flask with four handles and underglaze-blue decoration from Yuan dynasty” Appraisement Foundations of Chinese Porcelain, Beijing: Forbidden City, 2001, p.194.

2.   Department of Cultural Affairs in Beijing City ed. “Dish with detailed decoration of double phoenixes” Chinese Treasure in Topkapi Palace - Chinese Expert Research on Turkish Blue and White Porcelains from Yuan Dynasty, Beijing: Beijing Yan-shan, Oct. 2003, p.170.

Decoration of chrysanthemum in Yuan dynasty mostly presented single petal and few double petals. The decoration possessed features of partial coloring, white margin, and pistil in reticular shape or helical shape. However, chrysanthemum decoration from civil kiln showed simple flower with fluent lines.  

Decoration of phoenix was also one of common decorations of underglaze-blue porcelains in Yuan dynasty. Phoenix (Feng Huang) started to be divided into male and female since Song dynasty (960-1279). Male phoenix was called “Feng” and female phoenix is called “Huang” in Chinese. The difference was “Feng” had comb on head and more gorgeous tail than “Huang”.  

Phoenix decoration of Yuan dynasty generally carried design of chicken head, eagle beak, thin scales on body, and tails of inward curly ending, which presented one to five numbers in feather shape or thick line shape. Phoenix decoration was often painted with decorations of chrysanthemum, peony, or dragon.  

Reference (Decoration):

1. Ma, Xi-gui. Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, Shanghai: Shanghai Gu Ji, 1999, p.51, 55.

Reference (Decoration):

1.      Ma, Xi-gui. “Illustration 19: dragon decoration in Yuan dynasty”, Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, Shanghai: Shanghai Gu Ji, 1999, p.53.

2.  Ye, Zhe-min. “Figure 156: underglaze-blue           decoration of dragon in Yuan dynasty” A General Survey of Chinese Ceramic During Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing: Forbidden City, Feb. 2003, p.243.

Dragon decoration of Yuan dynasty had characteristics of snaky body, small head, deer horns, open mouth, revealed teeth, claws of three to four nails, and body scales in square shape or as fish scales. Around the dragons, long-tail Ruyi clouds or flame-shaped clouds were adornment.  

Reference (Decoration):

1. Ma, Xi-gui. Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, Shanghai: Shanghai Gu Ji, 1999, p.48, 53.

The ware bottom showed sand bottom, flint-red, iron rust spots, sand adhesion, and so forth.  

Owing to heavy clay body, difficult firing process was easy to form everted edge, raised bottom with hollow center, and so on. The bottom of this ware presented raised margin and hollow inner.

Local pigment possessed high amount of manganese and low iron. Thus, underglaze-blue color presented light blue with slightly gray. The thick pigment area appeared brown spots without black iron rust spots.  

Reference (Pigment):

1. Zhang, Pu-sheng. Blue and White Porcelain Appraisement, Beijing: Beijing Library, Jan. 1995, p.41.

In Yuan dynasty, Jingdezhen (Jingde town) applied binary formula of porcelain clay with Ma-cang clay (Kaolin clay), and produced firmly delicate clay that was suitable for large wares.  

Loose clay of Yuan dynasty was less refined than clay in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911). Magnification of clay showed clear particles and black sesame spots on account of iron element in clay. 

Reference (Clay):

1. Liu, Liang-you. Research of Antique Porcelain, Taipei: Youth Culture, Jan. 1988, p.170.