At the earliest, Marco Polo brought China's small white porcelain bottles to the West, and the porcelain with high hardness and good quality was loved by the locals, known as "white gold", with extraordinary value, so a large number of exquisite Chinese porcelain was transported to Europe by boat, breaking out of the world. However, at the time of the change of power in the Ming and Qing dynasties, due to frequent wars, the number of porcelain produced in China decreased sharply, and the Qing government issued a sea ban in 1656, and China's trade with Europe and Southeast Asia was interrupted.
Pastel bamboo hedge flower bird tiger pattern Panqing Kangxi 1661-1722 Jingdezhen kiln
What about the decrease in the source of Chinese porcelain? The Dutch East India Company, the hub of the East-West porcelain trade, pondered the problem and turned its attention to Japan. They hope that Japanese export porcelain can replace China's export porcelain to meet the needs of Western countries.
Imari porcelain in the "Japanese imitation"
Porcelain was fired very late in Japan, because the production and raw material technology was immature, and it was impossible to fire high-temperature porcelain, relying on imports. It was not until the 1610s, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea and brought back potters who made porcelain with cooked twists, and at this time, Korean potters also discovered porcelain stones in the Arita area, and japan entered the world of dyeing and painting porcelain.
The retreat of Chinese exportware, so that the Japanese porcelain industry to obtain unprecedented opportunities, in the case of a large increase in the international market demand, the level of Japanese porcelain has been greatly improved, Arita kiln industry specially based on Chinese porcelain as the model of fired porcelain, in 1695 officially began large-scale export to Europe, from the name of the port of the sea "Imari porcelain", after the 17th century is more loved by the European aristocratic class.
Blue and white multicolored depiction of gold folding fan phoenix pattern large plate 1690s to 1730s Produced in the Arita region of Japan
After firing in the Arita area of Japan, Imari porcelain was trafficked out of the sea from the adjacent port of Imari. At the beginning of its birth, from the modeling pattern to the style, it was modeled on Chinese porcelain. With the advancement of firing techniques, Japanese potters gradually integrated European artistic tastes with the Japanese aesthetics of the Edo period, and successively fired categories such as the beautiful "Kaki Right Gate" and the gorgeous "Golden Hands", giving Imari porcelain a unique artistic charm. The "Kaki Right Gate Style" has a warm white tire like a lily with a pearl luster, and the "Golden Hand Style" has a technique of depicting gold, which has been passed down to the present day because it is very popular.
Blue and white alum red color depiction gold folding fan floral pattern melon ridge lid jar mid-to-late 18th century produced in the Arita region of Japan
Imari porcelain of "Zhongfang Day"
In the twenty-third year of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government recovered Taiwan, and the policy of sea ban was gradually lifted. But at this time, Japan had become the largest exporter of porcelain in the European market with Imari porcelain. Seeing that the European market that originally belonged to it was seized, the Chinese porcelain industry was bound to regain the market. As a result, Jingdezhen began to learn from the decorative style of Japanese Imari porcelain and began to burn "Chinese Imari porcelain".
Blue and white alum red color depicting gold flowers Rui beast pattern Panqing Qianlong 1736 to 1796 Jingdezhen kiln
The Qing government directly supported the firing of porcelain, sufficient raw materials, highly mature porcelain-making technology, huge production scale, China's Imari porcelain was fired in large quantities, not only imitation realistic, decorative level and quality higher, the key is that the price is much cheaper than Japan's, the real "good quality and low price", the competitive advantage is obvious. In the end, Japanese Imari porcelain could not withstand the pressure of China's "cottage" and gradually reduced production, and after continuing to export for about 100 years, it withdrew from the international market in 1757.
Blue and white alum red color depicting gold floral pattern coffee pot Qing Kangxi 1661-1722 Jingdezhen kiln
Among China's Imari porcelain, the most is imitation "golden hand" style porcelain, which is lighter and thinner than the Japanese Imari porcelain carcass, and it is also different in color and composition. In terms of color, the chinese Imari porcelain blue and white hair color is more bright and pure, and although the Chinese Imari porcelain imitates its paving decoration, it still uses white porcelain as the ground, and the blue and white and Gonghong outline patterns are relatively elegant; the Japanese Imari porcelain leaves less white, and mostly uses blue and white, Gonghong as the ground, and there is a sense of accumulation of colored blocks. In terms of composition, Chinese Imari porcelain likes to use symmetrical layout, and the visual effect is completed satisfactorily; the Japanese Imari porcelain composition is more full, and it also likes to use split composition, often with various geometric or irregular open light decorations.
Blue and white alum red color depicting gold floral pattern Panqing Qianlong 1736 to 1796 Jingdezhen kiln
From Jingdezhen to Arita, from Chinese technology to Japanese style, from Korean potters to Dutch merchants, in the story of Ivan Li porcelain, we clearly see the economic, cultural exchange and integration of the Great Navigation Age, and how the exchange and integration of cultures can create a new artistic style. From the middle of the 17th century to the middle of the 18th century, The Sino-Japanese Imari porcelain competed for glory, one after the other, and they deduced a wonderful trade competition in mutual learning, mutual competition and mutual transcendence.
Blue and white multicolored flowers deer pattern Panqing Kangxi 1661-1722 Jingdezhen kiln