Dehua porcelain achieved great technical improvements in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). White porcelain acquired a new, pure, refined look when decorative pieces, tablewares, and statues of Buddhist deities were exported to Southeast Asia and Europe in the 18th century.
Augustus the Strong of Dresden (1670-1733), also known as Augustus II, King of Poland, was a renowned enthusiast of Dehua porcelain. He obtained more than 1,000 pieces for his collection, according to the introduction of Blanc de Chine on the Victoria &Albert Museum (in the United Kingdom) website.
An alchemist under Augustus II's command successfully created the first European white porcelain in the early 1700s. "Since then, European manufacturers, such as Meissen, St. Cloud and Chelsea have made imitations of Dehua white porcelain and reinvented some of its iconic forms and patterns," according to the museum's introduction.
The exhibition in Shanghai is divided into three sections. The first chapter, Renewing the Present, features iconic pieces by contemporary masters, such as a cauldron made by Chen Renhai for the Fujian Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, a Buddha statue that combines porcelain crafting with Thangka painting, and jewelry inlays by Lian Zihua.
The most popular exhibit in this section is the statue of Princess Yushu, inspired by the 2005 film The Myth. Visitors swarmed around the sculpture, marveling at the meticulous depiction of her chiffon robe, which is no more than 0.2 millimeters at its thickest.
Lian Deli takes great pride in his creation, saying that "it is the thinnest piece of Dehua white porcelain ever made." It took him nearly seven years to complete the sculpture after hundreds of firing failures.
"You have to adjust the clay composition and control the kiln temperature constantly. It takes meticulous skills and a bit of luck," he says.
Li Zhanggao, one of the exhibition's featured artists, shares with China Daily his experience transitioning from a graphic designer to a master craftsman of Dehua porcelain.
