The Journal

The “Guiguzi Descending the Mountain” Jar: Narrative, Woodblock Prints, and Yuan Blue-and-White
The “Guiguzi Descending the Mountain” Jar: Narrative, Woodblock Prints, and Yuan Blue-and-White
The “Guiguzi Descending the Mountain” jar stands among the best-known narrative vessels of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain. Its significance extends beyond its auction record and its intense, varied cobalt. More importantly,... Read more...
“Sumali Blue” and the Heaped-and-Piled Effect in Blue-and-White Porcelain
“Sumali Blue” and the Heaped-and-Piled Effect in Blue-and-White Porcelain
On some Yuan and early Ming blue-and-white porcelains, the cobalt gathers into areas noticeably darker than the surrounding decoration. These passages may appear deep blue-black, brownish-black, or slightly metallic beneath... Read more...
Yongle and Xuande Blue-and-White Porcelain: Rich Cobalt and Early Ming Court Taste
Yongle and Xuande Blue-and-White Porcelain: Rich Cobalt and Early Ming Court Taste
The Yongle (1403–1424) and Xuande (1426–1435) reigns are often regarded as one of the high points in the history of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Although the two periods were relatively brief,... Read more...
Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain: How the Fourteenth Century Changed Chinese Ceramics
Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain: How the Fourteenth Century Changed Chinese Ceramics
he most important development in Yuan blue-and-white porcelain was the way vessel form, painted decoration, and international trade came together within a mature working system. Before the Yuan dynasty, Chinese... Read more...
From Tang and Song Experiments to Yuan Maturity: How Blue-and-White Porcelain Took Shape
From Tang and Song Experiments to Yuan Maturity: How Blue-and-White Porcelain Took Shape
Blue-and-white porcelain was not invented at a single moment. It emerged gradually as three developments came together: the ability to produce a sufficiently white porcelain body capable of high-temperature firing,... Read more...
What Is Blue-and-White Porcelain? Cobalt, Underglaze, and Kiln Fire
What Is Blue-and-White Porcelain? Cobalt, Underglaze, and Kiln Fire
Blue-and-white porcelain refers to porcelain decorated with cobalt pigment on an unfired body, covered with a transparent glaze, and fired at a high temperature. Its familiar appearance is created through... Read more...
The Qianlong Carmine-Red Graviata Meiping
The Qianlong Carmine-Red Graviata Meiping
This type of Qianlong meiping represents one of the most technically elaborate forms of Qing court porcelain. It brings several demanding techniques together on a single curved surface—a ruby-toned enamel... Read more...
Decoding an Imperial Benchmark: The Qianlong Five-Dragon Meiping
Decoding an Imperial Benchmark: The Qianlong Five-Dragon Meiping
AzureBlanc Archive Edition, recreating the Qianlong-period blue-and-white meiping in a contemporary setting. In 2012, a Qianlong-period blue-and-white meiping featuring five dragons, clouds, and waves sold for over $15 million USD... Read more...
From Sotheby’s to the Shanghai Museum: The Fate of a Yongzheng Famille Rose Olive-Shaped Vase
From Sotheby’s to the Shanghai Museum: The Fate of a Yongzheng Famille Rose Olive-Shaped Vase
At the 2002 Sotheby’s Autumn Auctions in Hong Kong, a Qing dynasty Yongzheng-period Famille Rose olive-shaped vase sold for over $5.3 million USD (41.5 million HKD), setting a world record... Read more...
The Weight of a Celestial Sphere: The Qianlong Famille Rose Vase
The Weight of a Celestial Sphere: The Qianlong Famille Rose Vase
At the 2011 Sotheby’s Autumn Auctions in Hong Kong, a 51-centimeter Qianlong-era Famille Rose vase sold for over $11.5 million USD (90.26 million HKD). While the numbers make headlines, for... Read more...
Dehua Ware (Blanc de Chine): The Mastery of Pure Luminous White
Dehua Ware (Blanc de Chine): The Mastery of Pure Luminous White
Most people pause when they first encounter Blanc de Chine. There are no cobalt blue narratives running across its surface, no layered enamels competing for attention. It is, seemingly, just... Read more...
Beyond Replicas: Museum-Informed Ceramics
Beyond Replicas: Museum-Informed Ceramics
Ancient ceramics are usually kept behind museum glass or locked in private archives. Predictably, the market is full of modern reproductions trying to offer a piece of that history. But... Read more...
The Return of Ritual Living
The Return of Ritual Living
Modern life moves at a relentless pace. We are saturated with information, yet deprived of sensory depth. The fatigue we feel in the digital age often stems from a lack... Read more...
Why Statement Vases Matter in Contemporary Homes
Why Statement Vases Matter in Contemporary Homes
Modern interiors are more refined than ever. Yet, they are increasingly similar. We see the same neutral palettes. The same curved sofas. The same stone surfaces. The same minimalist layouts.... Read more...
Blanc de Chine and the Modern Interior
Blanc de Chine and the Modern Interior
Among all Chinese ceramics, Blanc de Chine integrates most seamlessly into the contemporary home. It lacks the graphic intensity of blue-and-white. It avoids the ornate complexity of Famille Rose. It... Read more...
Jingdezhen: Why the Porcelain Capital Still Matters
Jingdezhen: Why the Porcelain Capital Still Matters
For many, Jingdezhen exists only as a historical footnote. A name printed on museum plaques, auction catalogs, and documentary voiceovers. It feels anchored in the past, almost detached from the... Read more...