Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Porcelain System

Timeline

1. 1368–1402Zhushan, Jingdezhen · JingdezhenIn the early Ming, an imperial kiln works was established at Jingdezhen, conscripting craftsmen and monopolizing high-quality kaolin clay to supply porcelain exclusively for the court and government, laying the foundation for the Ming's centralized official kiln production model.
2. 1403–1435Imperial Kiln Works, Jingdezhen · JingdezhenDuring the Yongle and Xuande periods, blue-and-white porcelain had regular shapes and lustrous glazes, using imported smalt (sumaliqing) pigment, becoming the most representative artistic peak of the Ming imperial kilns and widely used for tributary gifts.
3. 1465–1620Jingdezhen · JingdezhenChenghua doucai pioneered a new technique combining underglaze blue with overglaze enamels; during the Jiajing and Wanli periods, wucai (five-color) porcelain output increased greatly, the imperial kiln system expanded into a kiln-supervising commissioner system, and the scale of production reached its Ming-dynasty maximum.
4. 1620–1644Jingdezhen · JingdezhenDuring the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns, fiscal distress and frequent popular uprisings caused imperial kiln production to be intermittent and quality to decline; after the fall of the Ming, the imperial kiln works passed into the Qing official kiln system.