The rise of the Middle Ages in Asia brought about a revolution of art and ceramics. Each dynasty from the Post Classical Era saw a different leap forward in the technology advancements of ceramics, and new styles of painting were created to further express the Asian culture and emotion. Some advancements in the field of ceramics even brought back techniques from the Ancient Era.
Middle Age Art Advancements
Porcelain was first created during the Sui Dynasty. It was made using pure, white Kaolin clay that was molded into different shapes and applied with a clear glaze. At the time, porcelain was the thinnest and hardest ceramic material available, and its properties allowed for detailed painting and modeling. By the time the Tang Dynasty started, porcelain had been modified to become the purest and most true form of ceramic clay (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
During the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese created more porcelain ceramics, but they became far more advanced in their glazing skills. They started creating very complex painted figures, utilizing several new colors of glazes created. The Tang Dynasty is recognized for their tricolored tomb figurines and, the most important of all, cobalt blue glaze. This rare form of glaze created a beautiful sheen on any piece of pottery it was applied to, and it was revered during its time (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
The Five Dynasties paved way to two new advances in the Asian arts. The first was Whiteware, a thin but small ceramic piece (called “China”) that was painted with a pure white glaze. Using the newly evolved kiln technology, the Chinese were able to make very refined and elegant bowls and plates, a practice that is still used today (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
The second form of art is in fact not ceramic, but painting. Called the Monumental Ink Lanscape, painters would use black ink on a silk canvas to create natural pictures of the world in an attempt to show enlightenment or the balance of nature (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
The artistic quality leapt forward once again during the Song Dynasty. The ceramics created were made of better quality and more variety than before, utilizing new types of clay and different colored glazes to create complex designs and patterns. They also created the best Whiteware that was made in the Middle Ages. Using a new kiln process that avoided warping and reshaping of clay, the ceramics of the Song Dynasty were the most precise, delicate, and detailed of the Whiteware that was made in Asia. Because of all the advancements, the different art pieces made in the Song Dynasty are arguably the best pieces created in the Middle Ages (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
The art of woodcarving was also enhanced during the Song Dynasty, as craftsmen began creating increasingly realistic statues of different idols. Sometimes these figurines are adorned with silver, gold, and other rare metals to dress the idols and make them even more realistic than before, and possibly more worthy for the gods. (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
At some point in the Song Dynasty, black-glazed ceramic became very popular, so much so that nearly half of all potters were making some form of the black and brown pieces. With this new glaze coloring came many more techniques for pattern design on the ceramics. This includes stencil designs and leaf-like patterns etched or painted onto assorted pots and bowls (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
Another special form of ceramic was created during the Song Dynasty. Using different clay, called Kuan clay, the Imperial Court fired special pieces in a higher temperature than normal kiln. Kuan clay is naturally dark colored due to high iron content, and ceramic pieces made were given layers of translucent, blue-tinted glaze. After the clay was fired, the glaze would crackle, giving the ceramic pieces a very unique look. This new style grew popular and was eventually used on porcelain ceramic as well (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
During the Yuan Dynasty, the Chinese began their first exports of the blue and white porcelain pieces. These works of art were created with the Islamic cultures in mind. Instead of using cobalt blue, a new glaze was used, called Mohammadan Blue, which was made out of cobalt oxide (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
When the 14th century arrived, the use of cobalt blue exploded, and the ceramic technology leapt forward. With the use of bonding the chemicals of cobalt blue and another special clear glaze, the Chinese were able to create detailed works of art directly onto porcelain pieces (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
When the 14th century arrived, the use of cobalt blue exploded, and the ceramic technology leapt forward. With the use of bonding the chemicals of cobalt blue and another special clear glaze, the Chinese were able to create detailed works of art directly onto porcelain pieces (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
Another piece that grew popular during the Yuan Dynasty was the bluish white, or shadow blue ceramic. These pieces of porcelain were glazed with a light blue or white color, and then covered with a white paste to give it a very subtle blue tint. The blue coloring could also be accounted for the pine trees that were used as fuel in the kilns back then (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
The Ming Dynasty brought back the art of bronze smelting from the Ancient era Dynasties, as well as green and gold ceramic pieces from the Tang Dynasty. These artifacts were typically used for funerals, and were adorned on the top by a religious idol. Many pieces with these colors were also rehashed from the tri-colored ceramics of the Tang Dynasty. Because tri-colored ceramics pieces were so expensive, they would usually not be used in daily life, unlike other pieces such as plain porcelain or white and blue (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
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The first style of painting to emerge from the Ming Dynasty was the Che Painting. This type of artwork consisted of simple, washed out pictures created using large, rough brushstrokes. Part of this style was revived from different paintings from the Southern Song Dynasty (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
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The second painting style from the Ming Dynasty is the Wu Painting. Unlike the Che Painting, Wu paintings are created using small, delicate brushstrokes, and many paintings utilize mild use of coloring to accent a painting. These paintings tended to be much more detailed and realistic than the Che Paintings (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.).
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Eccentric Paintings were the last style of paintings to emerge during the Ming Dynasty. The paintings featured a combination of the two previous styles, but the main aspect of these paintings was the calligraphy (Minneapolis Institute of Arts n.d.). To the Chinese culture, calligraphy was very important, as it required immense skill and creativity from the writer (Enciclopédia Escolar Britannica 2013).
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For more information on different types of Chinese ceramics in the Middle Ages, visit the Minneapolis Institute of Arts: The art of Asia page.