Bowl, Ming dynasty, Hongwu reign (1368-1398). Porcelain with cobalt decoration under colorless glaze.H: 15.7 W: 41.0 cm, Jingdezhen, China. F1951.3. Freer/Sackler© 2014 Smithsonian Institution
After the first Ming emperor ousted the previous foreign-ruled dynasty, he became suspicious of outsiders and closed China, affecting porcelain production that had previously catered to Near Eastern customers. At the same time, he initiated use of blue and white at the Chinese court, and some scholars believe the Hongwu emperor established an imperial kiln in 1369. Others date that event later, noting that court arts were not a priority for him. Nonetheless, significant porcelains, such as this bowl, appeared. Its date is confirmed by fragments of similar porcelains in a Hongwu-dated stratum discoverd by archaeologists at the site of the Ming kilns in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. A notable trait of the period is the mostly pale blue color of the cobalt decoration beneath the glaze-a blue tone lighter than that seen on the blue-and-white wares of the previous dynasty or the later Ming dynasty. The reason seems to be the quality of the colorless glaze; this particular recipe, used only during the Hongwu reign, had a tendency toward opacity.