Auction Information

Description

Enamel colored porcelain, also known as porcelain body painted enamel, refers to a very small batch of porcelain that uses enamel material to paint decorative patterns on the porcelain body and is fired in the Qing palace. It was first seen during the Kangxi period. Enamel color, as a new type of glaze color, has vastly different properties from traditional Chinese glaze color materials. Enamel is a type of colored material that is fired into glass material. Different pigments can blend with each other, greatly increasing the color palette, and can be stacked layer by layer to create a texture and visual effect like an oil painting. After firing, enamel material has the characteristics of being shiny and transparent, with colors that can be bright or soft, making it an excellent pigment choice for painting on porcelain bodies. The enamel painting technique was first seen on European metalwork in the 15th century. In his later years, Emperor Kangxi was introduced to Western enamel art through gifts introduced by European missionaries and developed a strong interest in it. He even set up enamel workshops in the Qing Dynasty palace, allowing Western enamel artists to train Chinese craftsmen. After several years of experimental stage, the imperial enamel painting technique reached maturity in the last few years of the Kangxi Dynasty, and the first porcelain body painting enamel created in China was developed. The Kangxi Dynasty was a pioneering period for the production of enamel porcelain, with innovations in both enamel pigments and porcelain body painting, which had profound significance. According to the records of the work plan file of the Qing Palace Production Office, enamel colored porcelain has been highly valued by the emperor since its creation and firing, striving for excellence in production: the plain white porcelain body was specially made by the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Factory, transported to the Qing Palace, and then painted by the palace painter, and then painted on the porcelain by the enamel craftsman of the Production Office, and fired in the kiln. Most of the inherited enamel colored porcelain is kept in secret by the Qing Dynasty palace and is only owned by the emperor, with very little transmission outside the palace. It was not until the opening of the Forbidden City in the early years of the Republic of China that the outside world was able to glimpse the true face of enamel, which quickly became a target for collectors to appreciate and pursue. The production of enamel painting did not reach maturity until the late years of Kangxi. From the perspective of the shape of the vessel and the firing effect of the enamel material, we can conclude that the enamel colored Qianye lotus flower auctioned this time is a successful example of enamel colored porcelain fired in the late Kangxi period, and is the pinnacle of Kangxi enamel colored porcelain. Firstly, the shape of this spear is different from the common large spear during the Kangxi period, more delicate and lightweight, and closer to the shape of the spear during the Yongzheng period. Secondly, the three types of enamel materials, namely rouge, white, and yellow, that appeared on the body of the emperor were all new pigments successfully formulated by the late Kangxi Dynasty and Qing Palace. In addition, the enamel material of this painting is painted on glazed bare bodies, and the enamel material has a bright color and uniform texture, representing the exquisite effect that the production technology of the mature period of enamel painting in the Kangxi Dynasty can achieve. The lotus depicted on the tree is not an ordinary lotus, but a rare thousand petal lotus, with two plants belonging to the same stem and two flowers. This type of lotus is produced in the Aohan Banner of Mongolia, so it is also known as the "Aohan Lotus". Emperor Kangxi had a keen eye for the graceful and graceful Qianye Lotus, and wrote poems to praise it multiple times. In his last year of reign (i.e. the 61st year of Kangxi's reign, 1722 AD), he ordered the Cabinet Scholar and Minister of Rites, Jiang Tingxi (1669-1732 AD), who was skilled in flowers and birds, to write the scroll of "Aohan Qianye Lotus". This painting was greatly appreciated by Emperor Kangxi and was inscribed with poems by his courtiers. From the perspective of painting techniques, the decorative patterns of this lotus are very similar to Jiang Tingxi's lotus in "The Thousand Leaf Lotus in Aohan", especially the pink and juicy lotus on the left side with abundant petals, which should be inspired by the latter. This piece was fired in the late Kangxi period, so the porcelain painter is likely to have imitated Jiang