Enamel porcelain originated from copper-bodied enamelware during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties and can be considered as transplanted from copper-bodied enamelware. Also known as “porcelain with enamel painting,” it was first created in the late Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, specifically in 1696, under the personal direction of the Kangxi Emperor.
Its production flourished during the reigns of the Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors.
The production process of enamel porcelain requires high craftsmanship. Firstly, fine white porcelain bodies or exquisite white porcelain are fired in the Imperial Kilns in Jingdezhen. Then, they are transported to the Imperial Household Department in Beijing, where palace painters apply the designs. Afterward, they undergo a second firing in low-temperature kilns, making them low-temperature overglaze enamel porcelain. Before the sixth year of Yongzheng’s reign, enamel materials were imported from abroad. However, starting from the sixth year of Yongzheng’s reign, domestically produced enamel materials began to be used. Due to the glass-like pigments contained in enamel materials, the finished products have a transparent glassy texture, hence the nickname “material colors.”
Enamel porcelain is renowned both domestically and internationally, exclusively for use by the royal and noble families. The production quantity was extremely limited, making it highly valuable, and consequently, there were numerous imitations. Since enamel porcelain’s painting and firing are not conducted in Jingdezhen, it cannot be considered a product of Jingdezhen kilns. However, it had a significant influence on the creation and firing of famille rose porcelain in Jingdezhen.
