The Doucai porcelain of the Chenghua period could be described as a flash in the pan, with no development since the mid-Ming Dynasty until the end of the Ming Dynasty. It almost ceased production until the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, when production resumed. The Doucai porcelain of the Yongzheng period made new breakthroughs, besides using the traditional Doucai technique, it also created a new type of porcelain combining underglaze blue and overglaze famille rose.
The Kangxi Doucai porcelain, in terms of its shape, body glaze, and coloring materials, was generally similar to the coloring materials used in Wucai porcelain at that time. It used underglaze blue to outline the contours of floral, bird, landscape, and other patterns or as partial segments of the patterns, forming a perfect decoration combining underglaze blue and colored enamel. The area filled with overglaze enamel in Kangxi Doucai porcelain was generally smaller than that of underglaze blue, still retaining the style of Wucai porcelain from the Ming Jiajing and Wanli periods. Official kiln Doucai dishes and bowls with dragon and phoenix motifs were finely made and relatively abundant in quantity. Although the multi-colored rendering technique used in painting resembled that of underglaze blue, with more detailed and realistic depiction of clothing folds on figures, it still fell short of the simple and elegant charm of Chenghua Doucai porcelain. The coloring materials used in Kangxi Doucai porcelain did not contain any powdered substance.
The Doucai porcelain of the Qing Dynasty was most exquisite during the Yongzheng period and was often imitated in later generations. Yongzheng Doucai porcelain mostly imitated the varieties of Chenghua Doucai, including bottles, jars, cups, plates, and bowls. The painting method generally involved first outlining the contours of the patterns with light underglaze blue, then filling them with various delicate and soft-colored enamels. The enamel used in Yongzheng Doucai porcelain was thin and pale, filled with extreme precision without any overflow of the outlines. The red enamel was oily, the green color was bright and clear like water, and the layout of the patterns was simple, clear, fresh, and elegant. It was difficult to distinguish between genuine and imitation when imitating small cups, chicken cups, and “Tian” character jars from the Chenghua period. Therefore, collectors should pay special attention to observing the characteristics of the body, glaze, painting, and inscriptions when identifying them. Although the texture of imitation pieces was fine, it was slightly thin; the white glaze was not as rich and glossy as that of the Chenghua period, and the glaze surface was relatively soft; the red enamel color was not as bright; the painting, although neat, lacked softness in the strokes; and the inscriptions were far from authentic.
It is worth noting that in later times, it was common to fake Doucai by adding Doucai painting on underglaze blue, such as adding patterns like overlapping lotus, lingzhi, and adding bamboo groves, phoenix bamboo, and dragon patterns. During the Republic of China period, there were also imitations of Yongzheng Doucai drum-shaped jars. Especially in recent years, some art manufacturers in Taiwan and Beijing have replicated small bowls with pine, bamboo, and plum motifs, and some of them are exquisitely crafted and very sophisticated, but there is always a certain gap compared to the authentic ones.
The Qianlong Doucai, like the Yongzheng Doucai, had exquisite painting and production techniques. There were many large items from both official and private kilns, such as large Tianqiu vases, fish tanks, embroidery stools, large plates, and commonly seen flower-patterned jars. The decoration of Qianlong Doucai tended to be more patterned, with layouts often presented in contrast or multi-faceted decorative styles. The colors were elegant, sometimes rich, and the painting style was rigorous and regular. During the Qianlong period, a new type of Doucai porcelain combining famille rose and Doucai was created, making the colors of Doucai porcelain more luxurious and splendid, achieving a perfect combination of underglaze blue and famille rose decorations. Doucai combined with famille rose was often used for the clothing of figures and flowers, resulting in more vivid artistic effects in painting. Such items included small vases and Yuhuchunping bottles, which were exquisitely made. After that, the official kilns of the Daoguang period also produced such products with this production technique, mostly for stationery. The colors of imitations of Ming Dynasty Chenghua chicken cups and other items were not as bright as those of imitations from the Yongzheng period.
From the post-Qianlong period to the Republic of China period, there were no new varieties of Doucai porcelain. The decorative styles and body glazes were generally similar to those of previous dynasties. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods, various types of bowls, plates, jars, and bottles with various decorative themes were common. The shapes of bowls and plates were slightly clumsy compared to those of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong periods. The items during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi periods were similar to those of the previous dynasties. During the Guangxu period, there were traditional varieties such as Guan’er bottles, mandarin duck small bowls, bent waist bowls, Douli-style bowls, and Kuifeng large plates.
