We had a chance to visit "The Radiant Ming" exhibition of the Min Chiu Society at the Hong Kong Museum of History.
Here are a few things we learned from the exhibit’s educational pamphlet:
“Emperor Yongle ordered the city known as Shuntian to be expanded in the fourth year of his reign (1406) in preparation for the relocation of the capital, which was formally moved to Beijing in the 19th year of his reign (1421). The original capital was renamed Nanjing, literally meaning “southern capital,” and Beijing became the de facto capital of the Ming dynasty from that time on.”
Many religions thrived during the Ming Dynasty such as Daoism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Islam. It was also the golden age for Chinese arts and crafts that included gold and silver wares, silk textiles, lacquerware, bamboo and wood carvings, blue and white porcelain, and jade. Religious influences found expression in these different art forms.
“Blue and white ware is a characteristic type of porcelain from the Ming dynasty. It is a king of ‘underglaze painted porcelain’ with blue designs painted on a thoughtfully reserved white ground, where the idea of the void, or blank space, is highly reminiscent of the artistic treatment adopted in traditional Chinese ink painting.”
In other research that I had done on Ming dynasty blue and white ceramics, I also learned that a characteristic design of the era included the reverse white on blue patterns and drawings that are outlined by thin lines. [see picture above]
According to the educational pamphlet, the word “china” was derived from the country’s name “China” as signifying the place where porcelain making originated.
Ming dynasty furniture is also very interesting.
“Typically made of various species of hardwood including huanghuali (yellow rosewood), zitan (red sandalwood), tieli (ironwood) and beech, it is characterized by a simple, succinct form and crisp and elegant lines.”
From 1368 to 1644, the Ming Dynasty had a total of 17 emperors, with the following reign titles:
Hongwu (1368-1398), Jianwen (1399-1402), Yongle (1403-1424), Hongxi (1425), Xuande (1426-1435), Zhengtong (1436-1449), Jingtai (1450-1456), Tianshun (1457-1464), Chenghua (1465-1487), Hongzhi (1488-1505), Zhengde (1506-1521), Jiajing (1522-1566), Longqing (1567-1572), Wanli (1573-1620), Taichang (1620), Tianqi (1621-1627), Chongzhen (1628-1644).
