The Exhibition Decoding the Royal Kilns: Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty to Be Held in Changsha

The Exhibition Decoding the Royal Kilns: Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, jointly organized by Hunan Provincial Museum and Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology is to kick off in the New Xiangjiang District Planning Exhibition Center, Changsha in November 15. It is free of charge. The exhibition features 183 imperial porcelains of Ming Dynasty from Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology as well as over 10 imperial porcelains collected by Hunan Provincial Museum. The exhibition will enable the citizens in Changsha to feast their eyes on those fabulous exhibits.
　
Royal kiln refer to the kiln that produces porcelains exclusively for the royal family. Jingdezhen was home to the royal kiln during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). With the longest history, the largest scale and the most stunning craftsmanship in China, the royal kiln in Jingdezhen produced a wide range of types of porcelains. It is the site of the official kiln owned by the imperial court and its history was clearly recorded. Hence, it is regarded as “underground capital of the porcelain”.
　
The exhibition is organized in the chronological order. The following aspects are to be shown so as to decode the imperial porcelains: the shape, the ornament, the craftsmanship, the institutions and so on. Some well-known exhibits are to be displayed, including: a large blue and white plate with unique patterns from the reign of Hongwu Emperor (1368 – 1398) in Ming Dynasty, a blue and white two-eared and three legged furnace (for burning incense) with bright color from the reign of Yongle Emperor (1402 – 1424), the blue and white cricket pot with a description of orioles from the reign of Xuande Emperor (1425 – 1435), and the exquisite polychrome porcelain from the reign of Chenghua Emperor (1464 – 1487). The objects to be displayed in this exhibition will demonstrate the evolution of royal kiln in Ming dynasty, the superb craftsmanship and a variety of ornaments and shapes of the porcelain. Moreover, it will enable the visitors to understand the institution of the royal kiln and get a glimpse of the personal preferences and interests of the emperors in Ming dynasty. Finally, it provides useful materials for the study the history and culture of Ming dynasty as well as the appreciation of porcelains of Ming dynasty.

Ten lucky visitors will be selected by Hunan Provincial Museum to attend the Opening Ceremony & Appreciation of this exhibition to be held on November 15. This opportunity offers visitors to see the exhibits in a close range. It is said that the imperial porcelains from the royal kiln in Jingdezhen boast of the following features: “as white as the jade; as bright as the surface of mirror; as thin as the paper and the sound it makes is similar to that of chime stones (ancient percussion instrument made of stone or jade pieces hung in a row and struck as a xylophone) ”. Therefore, archeological experts of Jingdezhen porcelains will explain the evolution and the stories of excavation of the porcelains to deepen your understanding. If you are interested and know some basic information about the history and appreciation of cultural relics, please call at 84535566 Extension 8836 and sign up for the activity. Candidates with greater knowledge will be selected.