This article details the materials used in creating Yuan Dynasty porcelain, including kaolin clay, feldspar-based glazes, and imported cobalt, explaining how each contributed to the unique characteristics of the final pieces.
While black glazes were used in earlier dynasties, Ming potters achieved a new level of technical mastery in producing deep, lustrous black glazes, often using these glazes to highlight specific forms and decorative elements. This shows that potters during the Ming era were still refining and innovating on previously existing techniques.
While blue and white was dominant, it's worth examining the specific technical refinements in the use of underglaze blue during the Ming Dynasty. Ming potters built upon earlier techniques to achieve a higher level of precision, consistency, and a broader range of blue tones, and these technical innovations made for higher quality and more visually beautiful pieces.
We've touched on coral red, but it's worthwhile to delve into the specific technical details of how Ming potters achieved this particular hue. The creation of a rich, vibrant coral red glaze required very precise and complex control of firing conditions, pigment composition and the application of glazes.
While we’ve discussed the use of iron oxide, let’s examine the specific level of control that Ming potters achieved over this material. Ming potters gained an incredible amount of control over the use of iron oxide to achieve a variety of colors, tones, and textures in their glazes and underglaze decorations, demonstrating the high level of technical expertise that was common during this period.
Although the Yuan Dynasty conquered the Southern Song, the artistic traditions and ceramic techniques of the Southern Song had a lingering influence on the production of Yuan ceramics, and some Song styles, forms and techniques were adapted and incorporated into Yuan period pottery production.