Famille Rose porcelain was first created during the Kangxi period, matured during the Yongzheng period, and reached perfection during the Qianlong period, continually innovating in decorative techniques. In addition to traditional white-ground Famille Rose, many new types emerged:
- White-ground Famille Rose: This type was the most popular during the Yongzheng period and remained so during the Qianlong period. Its body is hard and delicate, with uniform thickness and moderate weight. The shapes are regular and proportionate, the glaze is smooth and blue-white, and the decorations are vibrant, layered, and finely painted.
- Carved Flower Famille Rose: An innovative type from the Qianlong period, where a layer of colored ground (commonly red, blue, green, or purple) is applied, and then patterns of intertwined honeysuckle vines or geometric designs are shallowly carved with a pointed tool. This technique, also known as “Carved Famille Rose” or “Embellished Famille Rose,” is complex and challenging, producing high-quality pieces. This method remained popular after the Qianlong period.
- Colored Ground Famille Rose: In addition to traditional white-glaze Famille Rose, colored grounds like red, yellow, purple, green, blue, gold, and pink were widely used. For vessels, the upper and lower parts were usually made with colored grounds, leaving the middle for Famille Rose decorations, often depicting figures, flowers, birds, and imperial poems, blending Western painting techniques with Chinese styles. Another rare but notable type involves applying Famille Rose on monochrome glazes like red, blue, or celadon, which aimed for uniqueness but did not achieve ideal artistic effects.
Combining underglaze blue with overglaze Famille Rose was also a frequently used decoration technique during the Qianlong period.
**The shapes of Qianlong Famille Rose porcelain were diverse, including daily utensils and decorative items. The official kiln pieces were dignified and well-crafted, although not as round as those from the Kangxi period or as elegant as those from the Yongzheng period. Regardless of size, they were meticulously made, with a luxurious style and no expense spared. Famous examples include the Hundred Deer Vase, Nine Peach Heaven Vase, Nine Peach Plate, Three Fruit Bowl, Play Bowl, Hundred Flowers Vase, and various others. The glaze of Qianlong Famille Rose pieces was typically light blue, smooth and clean, sometimes with very fine wrinkles or tiny black specks. The decorative style leaned towards patterning rather than freehand painting, with auspicious designs being very popular. The insides and bottoms often featured a smooth, green glaze called “bean green,” imitating the enamelware of the time. This green glaze was light and often had fine, evenly distributed wrinkles, different from orange peel texture, and adhered well to the glaze. High-quality pieces were outlined and edged with gold lines, making them stand out as masterpieces. These pieces had blue, gold, or more commonly, red marks. Civilian kiln products varied greatly in quality, with the finest rivaling official kiln pieces, featuring bright colors and fine painting, often marked with “Made in the Qianlong period” or “Made in the Great Qing Qianlong period” in blue underglaze, though the script was not as refined as that of official pieces. More basic daily items had simpler, rougher painting and heavier bodies.
Qianlong Famille Rose porcelain holds a significant place in the history of Chinese ceramics, greatly enriching the variety of colored porcelains and elevating the production of Famille Rose to its peak.
