By Wang Xuejun
Not long ago, the government of Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province launched a set of innovative porcelain works "Porcelain Charm 1004" to welcome the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. "Porcelain Charm 1004" is selected as a name because there are two meanings for such a number of 1004: First, it indicates the history of the establishment of Jingdezhen. Jingdezhen was once called "Changnan", and in the Jingde period during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Northern Song Dynasty, i.e. in the year of AD 1004, the excellent royalty-used porcelains made in the area were praised by Emperor Zhenzong, "Made in Jingde Period" was marked at the bottom of the porcelains, so "The town is called as Jingdezhen in the whole country", the name of Jingdezhen is given and become famous all over the world. Second, it implies the historical development. From the year of 1004 to 2008, another 1004 years have passed; the current Jingdezhen is prosperous and full of vigor and vitality. Two 1004 are just 2008, and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will come soon, so launching "Porcelain Charm 1004" under such a background has a special and rich meaning undoubtedly.
"Porcelain Charm 1004" is composed of vases with snow scenes of "resource of porcelain" and "pulse of charm". The theme of "resource of porcelain" picture is a pine tree standing lordly, which means an old town with thousand years. The tree trunk is strong and vigorous, standing lordly and facing snow boldly and proudly; both of the spirit and vigor are lively. Down the ages, Jingdezhen took Dongfu yard as the source, spread the millenary porcelain culture of the porcelain capital to the world, and brazed a path for porcelain. Just such a continuous colorful belt of Changjiang water linked various sight spots in Jingdezhen, and between the distant hills and the near rivers, an overall extended scene picture has come into being vaguely; "pulse of charm" takes plum blossom in the snow as a theme, praising porcelain workers' and artists' spirit of hard struggle. The picture takes Ode of Plum Blossom as a prototype, which is Mr. Ling Zongzheng's work gaining a gold prize in early 1960's, and is created again; in the picture, an strong and vigorous plum blossom tree stands at the bottom of Gaolingshan Mountain in a frozen and snow-covered world, facing the frost and fighting against the snow, which indicates a undaunted and persistent spirits, as well as an iron will.
The classic lotus seed-shaped vase is selected for the "Porcelain Charm 1004", the model is tall, straight and round, and the line is fine, enriching the lingering charm of the porcelains in Song Dynasty. It indicates that "may you have more than need every year" and prosperity. The surface is covered with blue and white ceramic glaze. Such porcelain products covered with blue and white ceramic glaze generated in the early Northern Song dynasty, became prevalent in South China in Song and Yuan Dynasties, and the products made in the kilns of Jingdezhen enjoyed most reputation. The blue and white ceramic glaze color is a kind of color between blue and white, it is burned by such glaze materials with the iron content of less than 1 percent in the reducing flame under the temperature as high as 1200��, and the white degree achieves 70 percent with the characters of shining blue in white, like blue and white jade, and being able to see shadows when illumination, so such a porcelain is called blue and white porcelain.
Seen from the techniques, such a set of vases named "Porcelain Charm 1004" can be called an excellent work of Mr. Ling Zongzheng in his old age. They reflect unique originality and a fine drawing skill, moreover, they embody Mr. Ling Zongzheng's integral mastering capability on materials and techniques. He applied his exclusive material secret recipe shaped over many tests, drew mountains with "sharp dark" as a major color, dyed and differentiated the light and shade with ochre; so the black is abundant, the color tiers are differentiated in orders, showing glamour and hidden flowers in materials; and he covered the vase with powder and left white to express the snow color, which can overcome the characteristic of lacking of color gradation for snow scene, skillfully apply the special famille-rose-glass white into the snow scene with hills and rivers, and make the dark and light colors on the picture natural, the snow color lifelike and the tiers differentiated, especially the glamorizing of the snow and fog scene is up to an extreme subtle level, after forging under the high temperature, the surface of the porcelain is salient a little with glittering and translucent carving, showing a beauty of superb craftsmanship. And the material for the porcelain body selected the soil of Gaolingshan Mountain at an elevation of 800 meters with the characteristics of high purity and high white degree.
"Porcelain Charm 1004" is designed by 80-year-old Mr. Ling Zongzheng, one of the porcelain artists of the older generation and a contemporary master in drawing snow scene, manufactured under the joint supervision of and jointly issued by Chinese Cultural Relics Academic Society, Jingdezhen Administration of Cultural Heritage and Jingdezhen Porcelain Bureau. It is understood that State Intellectual Property Office of P.R.C has presented a certificate of patent to that set of vases with snow scene.
