The production of Sancai ceramics reached its zenith during the Kangxi period, achieving unprecedented quality and variety. Common types and characteristics of Kangxi Sancai ceramics include:
- Yellow Ground with Purple and Green Glaze (黄釉地紫绿彩): This type, inherited from the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty, continued to be produced until the Xuantong period of the Qing dynasty. It features a yellow glaze base with purple and green decorative motifs. Typical shapes include various sizes of plates, with exterior designs of grapes, clouds, cranes, flowers, and dragons. The interior often has incised dragon patterns filled with purple and green glazes. The base usually has marks written in underglaze blue or purple, often appearing black due to the yellow glaze covering.
- White Ground Sancai (白地三彩): This type uses plain white porcelain as the base, with designs of dragons, flowers, and fruits incised before being filled with yellow, green, and purple glazes. A transparent glaze is applied over the top. Common forms include plates and bowls. These pieces are known for their fine craftsmanship, elegant shapes, delicate and hard bodies, bright colors, and glossy surfaces. Typical motifs include peonies and fruit, with a clear delineation of layers. The green glaze is usually a fresh, lake-green color, clear and bright. Later imitations tend to be bulkier, with thicker bodies, less smooth glazes, and duller colors.
- Colored Ground Sancai (色釉地三彩): This category includes yellow, green, beige, and purple ground pieces. Designs are incised on the plain body and then filled with glazes, resulting in rich, glossy surfaces with distinct layers of color. Despite using low-temperature lead glazes, the finished pieces are quite hard, with a characteristic halo effect from natural oxidation. Common shapes include phoenix-tail vases, Guanyin vases, cylindrical and square bottles, general jars, and large jars. Notable are the hollow incense burners and plates, often with green grounds and additional pink decorations.
- Black Ground Sancai (墨地三彩): The most precious type of Kangxi Sancai, these pieces have a green glaze base covered with black glaze, creating a dark ground. Designs of flowers, birds, and lotus are outlined in deep black with a purple hue, then filled with yellow, green, purple, and white glazes. Some pieces feature openwork with white ground reserved for detailed paintings. The craftsmanship is extremely refined, making authentic examples rare. Many later imitations from the Guangxu and Republic periods exist, but they often lack the finesse of true Kangxi pieces.
- Tiger-Skin Sancai (虎皮三彩): Characterized by irregular spots of yellow, green, and purple glazes that blend to create a pattern resembling tiger skin. Common forms include bowls, plates, and figurines of the Three Star Gods (Fu, Lu, Shou). Authentic Kangxi pieces have a dense body and a glossy, variable glaze, with naturally formed, uneven spots. Later imitations from the late Qing and Republic periods often have duller, more uniform patterns.
- Sancai Porcelain Sculptures (三彩瓷塑): These include Western figures, the Three Star Gods, Buddhist statues, the Eight Immortals, Guanyin, Dongfang Shuo, Kui Xing, animals, birds, rocks, and character-shaped teapots. Kangxi sculptures are noted for their accurate forms, hard and fine bodies, exquisite carving, and lifelike expressions. Later imitations, while sometimes detailed, often lack the same liveliness and precision.
In summary, Kangxi Sancai ceramics stand out for their elegance and brightness, embodying a refined aesthetic that transformed traditional Sancai into a new art form. The unique charm and quality of Kangxi Sancai remain unmatched by later imitations.
