MING DYNASTY CHENGHUA BLUE AND WHITE LARGE BIRDS DISH
Ming Dynasty fine Imperial mark and period Chenghua birds Dish. The body is fine white porcelain. The dish has refined sumali / smalt cobalt blue color with the blackish tone. The 14th and 15th century imported sumali / su-ni- bo / smalt blue cobalt color is very rich blue with a blackish tone and is very distinct from the domestic Chinese cobalt dull grayish purplish cobalt. The sumali / smalt cobalt would run uncontrollably and had to be mixed with Chinese pitang / pingdeng domestic cobalt to stabilize it. Some are only concerned how the Chenghua mark is written. They fail to emphasize that the color and tone of the imported cobalt and the painting style are the most important things to authenticate Chenghua Blue and White, because these cannot be duplicated. Importantly 14th and 15th century imported cobalt blue and white may even look purplish blue in photographs but the tone will remain blackish. The finest Chenghua blue and white used both cobalts and the percentages would determine the shade and color. Not until the Chenghua period did potters gain complete control over the sumali / smalt imported cobalt. The Chenghua potters were capable of painting details as thin as a hair in a free style with motion and flare. Some may say the sumali / smalt imported cobalt was not used after the 15th century. This is not completely correct some early 16th century pieces used both imported sumali / smalt and Chinese domestic cobalt mixed. Very few photographs capture the different cobalt colors and tone correctly in the book by He Li Chinese Ceramics plate 409 and Sotheby 30 years in Hong Kong Plate 245, the blue color and tone. These are good examples when the two cobalts were mixed together. Even today they are unsure which country in the middle east this cobalt was imported from. The Chenghua painting style is outlined and filled in with fine washes using a broad brush. The Glaze is fine glossy and soft to the touch. some say the glaze has a ting of yellow others whitish other brownish, I prefer whitish with very small even bubbles. The tint in the glaze often tones down the imported cobalt to give a more refined look. This Dish has the six character Chenghua mark written under the rim horizontally. The foot ring has a slight taper and was wiped over with the glaze. There is flaking in the biscuit where it is exposed this is typical in many Chenghua porcelains. Wiping a thin layer of glaze over the biscuit was often done on early pieces. Flaking in the biscuit is caused after the biscuit cures and dries out which takes a very long time, this is very distinct in 15th century blue and white. If you scratch the biscuit with your finger nail you can see the flakes with a loupe just make sure the area was not heavily wiped with glaze. Chenghua ceramics were generally delicate and innovating in style, form, and painted with the most beautiful refined blue and white shades of color that have the distinct blackish tone. Chenghua blue and white evolved and matured throughout his reign. Most blue and white collectors believe the Chenghua blue and white wares are the finest ever produced and this is why they are so sought after today. Measures approx 16 inches / 40 cm. Diameter.