Wucai (五彩, "Five colours", "Wuts'ai" in Wade-Giles) is a style of decorating white Chinese porcelain in a limited range of colours. It normally uses underglaze cobalt blue for the design outline and some parts of the images, and overglaze enamels in red, green, and yellow for the rest of the designs. Parts of the design, and some outlines of the rest, are painted in underglaze blue, and the piece is then glazed and fired. The rest of the design is then added in the overglaze enamels of different colours and the piece fired again at a lower temperature of about 850°C to 900°C.[1]
It has its origins in the doucai technique. The usual distinction made with doucai, which also combines underglaze blue with overglaze enamels in other colours, is that in wucai only parts of the design include blue, and these cover wider areas, and are often rather freely painted.[2] In doucai the whole design is outlined in the blue, even if parts are overlaid by the enamels and invisible in the finished product. Some parts may also be painted in the blue.[3] However, this is not true of all pieces classified as doucai, especially from the 18th century onwards. Fragments of incomplete examples, only done in blue, have been excavated from waste tips at the kiln.[4]
The next development, Famille verte (康熙五彩, Kangxi wucai, also 素三彩, Susancai), adopted in the Kangxi period (1662–1722), uses green and iron red with other overglaze colours developed from wucai, normally without any use of underglaze blue.
In Japan it is pronounced gosai and was initially imported. Kinrande is a form that developed out of this during the time of the Ming dynasty.
Recently Ming underglaze Wucai was reported in the US for the first time in history [5]
^First in History: Ming Xuande Underglaze Wucai Vase Found in US 明宣德釉下五彩瓷美国首次发现.
Referencesedit
"Grove", Medley, Margaret, Oxford Art Online, section "Ming; Jingdezhen porcelains, Polychome" in "China, §VIII, 3: Ceramics: Historical development"
Medley, Margaret, The Chinese Potter: A Practical History of Chinese Ceramics, 3rd edition, 1989, Phaidon, ISBN071482593X
Nillson, Jan-Eric, "Doucai Chinese porcelain decoration", in Chinese porcelain glossary, Gotheborg.com
Pierson, Stacey, From Object to Concept: Global Consumption and the Transformation of Ming Porcelain, 2013, Hong Kong University Press, ISBN9888139835, 9789888139835, google books
"Sotheby's": the "Meiyintang Chicken Cup", Sotheby's Hong Kong, Sale HK0545 Lot: 1, 8 April 2014
Valenstein, S. (1998). A handbook of Chinese ceramics, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. ISBN9780870995149 (fully online)
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wucai.
November 02, 2023
wucai, 五彩, five, colours, wuts, wade, giles, style, decorating, white, chinese, porcelain, limited, range, colours, normally, uses, underglaze, cobalt, blue, design, outline, some, parts, images, overglaze, enamels, green, yellow, rest, designs, parts, design,. Wucai 五彩 Five colours Wuts ai in Wade Giles is a style of decorating white Chinese porcelain in a limited range of colours It normally uses underglaze cobalt blue for the design outline and some parts of the images and overglaze enamels in red green and yellow for the rest of the designs Parts of the design and some outlines of the rest are painted in underglaze blue and the piece is then glazed and fired The rest of the design is then added in the overglaze enamels of different colours and the piece fired again at a lower temperature of about 850 C to 900 C 1 Wucai Goldfish Vase from the Jiajing period 1521 67 of the Ming dynastyWucai jar with the Eight Immortals Wanli reign 1573 1620It has its origins in the doucai technique The usual distinction made with doucai which also combines underglaze blue with overglaze enamels in other colours is that in wucai only parts of the design include blue and these cover wider areas and are often rather freely painted 2 In doucai the whole design is outlined in the blue even if parts are overlaid by the enamels and invisible in the finished product Some parts may also be painted in the blue 3 However this is not true of all pieces classified as doucai especially from the 18th century onwards Fragments of incomplete examples only done in blue have been excavated from waste tips at the kiln 4 The next development Famille verte 康熙五彩 Kangxi wucai also 素三彩 Susancai adopted in the Kangxi period 1662 1722 uses green and iron red with other overglaze colours developed from wucai normally without any use of underglaze blue In Japan it is pronounced gosai and was initially imported Kinrande is a form that developed out of this during the time of the Ming dynasty Recently Ming underglaze Wucai was reported in the US for the first time in history 5 Notes edit Medley 204 Pierson 14 15 Medley 205 207 Grove Vandelstein 175 Nillson on wucai Sotheby s First in History Ming Xuande Underglaze Wucai Vase Found in US 明宣德釉下五彩瓷美国首次发现 References edit Grove Medley Margaret Oxford Art Online section Ming Jingdezhen porcelains Polychome in China VIII 3 Ceramics Historical development Medley Margaret The Chinese Potter A Practical History of Chinese Ceramics 3rd edition 1989 Phaidon ISBN 071482593X Nillson Jan Eric Doucai Chinese porcelain decoration in Chinese porcelain glossary Gotheborg com Pierson Stacey From Object to Concept Global Consumption and the Transformation of Ming Porcelain 2013 Hong Kong University Press ISBN 9888139835 9789888139835 google books Sotheby s the Meiyintang Chicken Cup Sotheby s Hong Kong Sale HK0545 Lot 1 8 April 2014 Valenstein S 1998 A handbook of Chinese ceramics Metropolitan Museum of Art New York ISBN 9780870995149 fully online External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wucai Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wucai amp oldid 1144558598, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
