单色釉

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.