Chinese ceramics, Doucai

Doucai porcelain painting is a technique of using multiple colors, including overglaze enamels, to decorate Chinese porcelain. The technique was first developed during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and became popular during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

During the early Ming dynasty, under the rule of the Hongwu Emperor (1368-1398), porcelain production was centered in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province. The early products were primarily blue and white, but by the end of the Ming dynasty, under the rule of the Wanli Emperor (1573-1620), a multi-colored overglaze enamel technique known as "doucai" was developed.

During the Qing dynasty, doucai porcelain became particularly popular during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722), and the Yongzheng Emperor (1723-1735) and Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795), when many high-quality doucai porcelain pieces were produced for the imperial court and for export.

Doucai porcelain is considered to more... be a high-quality and valuable form of Chinese art, and the production of doucai porcelain declined after the fall of the Qing dynasty in the early 20th century. Today, doucai porcelain pieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are highly sought after by collectors and are considered to be important examples of Chinese ceramic art. less...