We resume our journey through Dr. Tang Hui’s doctoral thesis in chapter 3 where he takes note of the importance of color provided by the new enamels because they allowed imitation of Western porcelains when Western luxuries were esteemed at court, but also permitted greater delicacy in painting.
An interesting point the author makes is that until about 1729 enameled porcelains were made in small studio workshops, but soon production blossomed into large scale manufacturing, and concomitantly, porcelain shifted from a luxury to a desirable functional item. Enameled porcelain then grows from an imperial monopoly to a broadly possessed property throughout the domestic market.
Of further interest is the observation that both private and imperial kilns could be used to supply the court with its enameled porcelains, and that imperial kilns could produce porcelains for general commerce for those with the means to afford these goods.
In previous eras – eg Ming dynasty – porcelains identified as rejects for the court were smashed at the kilns, and not sold to the public. The Qing emperors sold them or used them as gifts, and they indeed had imperial reign marks. One interesting quote from the Qianlong emperor is that he noted that use of the yellow dragon with 5 claws by non-royal producers was not a big deal.
While it is often said with some condescension that export wares for Western markets were entirely different than for the domestic market, such beliefs are unfounded in the evidence. Hui quotes one porcelain dealer who raved about the beauty of a Western influenced portrait plate of a Chinese woman. The hard distinction between Chinese and export tastes is ill-conceived in a society where Western goods were highly prized.
Finally, on page 129 of my copy of the thesis, Hui bluntly states that imperial ware is a misnomer and not helpful to understanding enameled porcelain production and consumption, particularly for the second half of the 18th century and beyond. Kilns producing imperial porcelains also advertised to the public customizations for these same wares, and would often contain the kiln’s mark, having the same quality as the court’s porcelain.
It is during this time that enameled porcelain shifted from being a decorative art or luxury, to being a utilitarian ware – at least among the affluent.