Monochromes

From the Greek monokhromos, mono – one, khromos – colour, Chinese monochrome porcelain is considered to be one of the ceramic world’s great achievements.

Chinese monochrome porcelain is said to have its roots in the Song dynasty (960 – 1279). At the turn of the first millennium, China was the world’s most advanced civilisation and this epoch is known for the invention of movable type printing, bank notes, gunpowder, the compass and even the concept of the restaurant.

Early Chinese monochromes were black and white but very quickly, competition emerged. Kilns vied with each other to see who could make the most exquisite pieces of monochrome Chinese porcelain. In the Song dynasty, the emergence of Ge ware, Guan ware, Ru ware and Jun ware enabled a new burst of colour to appear within the ceramic production.

As the Song dynasty made way for the Yuan, dramatic advancements in the production of Chinese monochrome vases and indeed all forms of Chinese monochromes were developed.

While the production of monochrome Chinese porcelain continued throughout the Yuan dynasty, the Ming dynasty was when new glazing techniques were established. In the Ming dynasty, the most popular monochrome colours used by the imperial court were yellow, red and blue.

When the Qing dynasty arrived, monochromes were very much loved by the emperor and the court. New innovations within the Qing dynasty saw the arrival of new glazes such as peachbloom, teadust, robin’s egg, celadon and lavender, with Song-inspired glazes re-emerging such as Ge, Guan and Ru ware. Further development of enamelled glazes produced remarkable colours not seen before, such as pink, ruby, lemon-yellow, pale turquoise and lime-green.

Available Pieces
  • M4896

    M4896

    £68,000

    A superb Chinese celadon glazed thinly potted deep bowl, carved on the interior and exterior with the flowers of the four seasons, lotus, camellia, chrysanthemum and peony on a scrolling continuous leafy branch, the well of the interior with a single tree-peony issuing from rockwork amongst large leaves, the foot carved with a band of key-fret, covered overall in an even rich celadon glaze. Yongle/Xuande, Longquan kilns, Zhejiang Province, 1402-1435.

  • M4905

    M4905

    £23,500

    A superb Chinese celadon glazed tripod, two-handled incense burner with rounded body, cabriole legs, everted rim and upright openwork handles, covered overall in a bright celadon glaze extending to the interior and on the underside, the feet unglazed revealing the burnt-red fired body, the well of the interior used in the kiln for firing a further piece, with Japanese metalwork gilt- lined cover.

  • M4957

    M4957

    £16,500

    Chinese large celadon glazed tripod incense burner modelled in high-relief with a wide central register containing the ‘Eight Trigrams’ between carved leaves and flowers and within relief ribs, all on three cabriole feet and beneath the flat rim, covered overall in a rich and even unctuous celadon glaze extending onto the interior and base, the unglazed centre of the base and interior revealing the burnt-red biscuit body.

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  • M5072

    M5072

    £11,500

    Chinese celadon glazed incense burner modelled as a duck standing on pierced rockwork with upright neck and open beak with incised eyes, wings and feather work, the unglazed flat burnt-red biscuit base revealing the body with some ink characters, one wing forming the censer cover.

  • M5214

    M5214

    £11,500

    Chinese celadon glazed chrysanthemum dish, carved in the centre with a tree peony amongst leaves, encircled by chrysanthemum petals beneath a foliate rim, the petal ribs repeated on the underside, covered overall in an even pale celadon glaze, the base glazed except for a burnt red unglazed firing ring.

  • M5241

    M5241

    £58,000

    Chinese imperial porcelain yellow-glazed vase with ovoid body and short, flared neck, covered overall in a rich imperial yellow glaze running to the interior of the mouth and to the base. 9 1/4 inches, 23.5 cm high.

  • M5405

    M5405

    £7,500

    Chinese celadon glazed openwork rectangular-form table screen on integral stand incised with scrolls and petal-shape front, carved with two dragons, one rising from the waves, the other descending from the clouds in a square frame surrounded by seven apertures, the flanged sides incised with scrolls, the reverse plain with two holders for incense, the top edge with chamfered corners, covered overall in an even, rich, celadon glaze, the underside revealing the burnt-red biscuit body from the firing.

  • M5417

    M5417

    £POA

    A remarkable massive Chinese celadon glazed vase carved in high relief on the body with peony flowers on scrolling branches with leaves, beneath a similar register on the neck, above a wide band of relief leaves above the ribbed foot, the flared curved rim with ribs, covered overall in a rich and even luminous celadon glaze continuing on the inside of the neck, the underside of the base with ink marks.

  • M5518

    M5518

    £8,500

    Chinese longquan celadon insense burner and cover of square form, moulded on the exterior in relief with four panels with the Eight Trigrams, repeated twice, within a relief frame, the flat cover surmounted by a Buddhist lion, holding a brocade ball and ribbon it its front paws.

  • M5561

    M5561

    £16,500

    Large and substantially potted celadon glazed bowl, moulded on the exterior with a wide band of flowering lotus and camellia on scrolling, leafy branches above a band of stylised leaves and beneath a band of overlapping petals; carved on the interior with a single wide band extending to the base with the reverse technique of the exterior of lotus and camellia, all encircling a flowerhead in the well, the unglazed base burnt red in the firing with an impressed glazed centre.

  • M5792

    M5792

    £18,500

    Chinese imperial porcelain copper-red glazed saucer dish, thinly potted with gently flared lipped rim, covered overall in a rich and even sang-de-boeuf glaze beneath the white-glazed rim.

  • R1380

    R1380

    £29,500

    Chinese porcelain white-glazed anhua decorated cylindrical brushpot, incised on the body with butterflies in flight amongst bamboo, flowering peony and daisies issuing from rock work, all between bands of stylised crested waves at the foot and a continuous scrolling flowering branch with leaves beneath the glazed rim, the underside with the smooth, pure white biscuit revealing the body.

  • 2 - M5253

    2 – M5253

    £POA

    Chinese imperial porcelain yellow-glazed two-handled wine cup, erbei, thinly potted and incised on each side with a continuous anhua band of archaic style dragons facing each other with open mouths, between a pearl, all on a short foot rim and covered overall in an even pale-yellow glaze, pooling on the foot rim between two upright loop handles with curled ends, the interior glazed white.

  • 4 - M5388

    4 – M5388

    £POA

    Chinese imperial porcelain white-glazed waterpot of beehive form, taibaizun, with gently flared lipped rim, moulded and carved with three relief archaic style dragon and phoenix medallions, covered overall in an even sweet-white glaze. The base with a six-character mark of Kangxi in underglaze blue and of the period, 1662-1722.

  • 11 - R1278

    11 – R1278

    £POA

    Chinese imperial porcelain coral-red ground chrysanthemum-form flower dish, ju ban pan, the body with fluted petals and slightly inverted foot, covered overall in a rich and even coral-red enamel.

  • 12 - M5283

    12 – M5283

    £POA

    Chinese imperial porcelain lemon-yellow enamelled deep bowl, wan, thinly potted with gently flared rim and straight foot, covered overall in a rich and even lemon-yellow glaze, the interior glazed white.

  • M4703

    M4703

    £POA

    Chinese imperial porcelain celadon glazed deep bowl with flared rim, carved on the exterior with six camellia flowers on a continuous scrolling branch with leaves, covered overall and extending on the interior and base with a luminous celadon glaze.

  • M5791

    M5791

    £68,000

    Chinese porcelain imperial bowl with deep rounded sides rising from a short straight foot, covered overall in an even blue glaze, the base with a six-character mark of Kangxi within a double-ring in underglaze blue and of the period.

Further information on Monochromes

Chinese monochromes took a starring role in state ceremonies because traditional Chinese beliefs assumed that ritual vessels must be Chinese monochromes of glazed porcelain of particular colours, representative of four temples in Beijing and the gods they represented:

Blue Chinese monochrome porcelain – Altar of Heaven (tiantan)

Yellow Chinese monochrome porcelain – Altar of the Earth (ditan)

White Chinese monochrome porcelain – Altar of the Moon (yuetan)

Red Chinese monochrome porcelain – Altar of the Sun (ritan)

The reign of Kangxi at the start of the Qing dynasty was when the techniques of Chinese monochromes began to mature.

The beauty of Chinese monochrome vases, indeed all Chinese monochrome porcelain was in the technical accomplishment, the finesse of the colours and the quality of the glaze. It’s testament to the processes developed to produce monochrome Chinese porcelain that the colours have remained as spectacular as they were the day they were fired.

Arguably the most famous of all the colours, not just of Chinese monochrome porcelain but of all Chinese porcelain, blue is almost infinitely varied and the cobalt used came from as far away as modern-day Iran – from the most pale clair de lune to the deepest shades known as Mazarine blue.

You should also check

Chinese Export

Objects made in China for the purpose of being exported to the West.

Blanc de Chine

Objects from the Ming and Qing dynasties made in Dehua County, Fujian Province, all with a white-glaze.

Blanc de Chine 2024

Blanc de Chine, the luminous white ceramic revered for its delicate beauty, will be presented for the fifth time since the gallery’s 60th Anniversary exhibition in 1985. An exhibition of 34 pieces.

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