Beneath the Glaze: Qingbai Porcelain
Figure 1 Unknown Artist (Chinese). Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck, 1100-1200. Qingbai ware; porcelain with underglaze molded and carved decoration, H. 19.1 (7 1/2 in.) diam. 15.1 cm (6 in.). Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. https://www.artic.edu/artwork
Introduction:
Throughout history, porcelain has always been a valuable artifact in the homes of the wealthy whether in China where it was invented or quickly spreading to East Africa via maritime trade. Artisans were able to use porcelain to express their values and motifs by shaping this delicate material into various shapes to illustrate their outlook. With this art form starting in the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty soon followed through with much better innovative techniques which led to China’s Jiangxi province becoming a prominent center for ceramic production (Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck). From these kilns, artifacts like the Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck came to be. Materials like Qingbai ware’s glazing also came to fruition furthering the Porcelain-making process which allowed Chinese cultural diffusion to be prominent across the globe where the perceived value of the Qingbai ware was elevated at great heights.
Artifact and Motifs
Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck was made during the Song dynasty, and it spanned the years from the 1100th to the 1200th century. The dimensions of this piece are seven and a half inches in height and six inches in diameter (Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck) which illustrates that this piece of artifact is relatively on the smaller side compared to porcelain vases. Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck has three distinct components. The first component includes the base of the whole structure shaped like a bowl, from there, the second component opens with an “artichoke” shaped (Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck) lotus that has a smaller flatter cylindrical shape propping the third component up which is this whitish-bluish duck. There are three open cavities that are located on this incense burner that would allow the scents to waft through the air and let their owners enjoy the aroma. The first two cavities are located at the base of the flattened cylindrical near the duck’s feet. The final cavity is the opening of the duck’s mouth. According to the Art Institute of Chicago, the piece “contains an artichoke like lotus that opens into two tiers of small, pointed petals…” (Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck) where from the top of the artichoke to the midpoint of the cylindrical structure, there’s an opening where the owner can put different incense scents into the structure to make it functional. In addition, according to Williams, white ducks are “‘divine’ or spiritual fowl… No doubt, however, its white colour is emblematical of purity of heart…” (Williams 209) and “The lotus is a symbol of purity and perfection because it grows out of mud but is not defiled…” (Williams 252). The strategically placed motifs in the forms of fowl (duck) and lotus hold significant Chinese cultural references that wish the owner to be pure and perfect in hopes of bringing better luck into the household when they’re using this incense burner. The duality of both aesthetics from the Qingbai ware, with the philosophical meaning from the motifs makes this artifact one of a kind in the Song dynasty.
Incense Culture
Incense culture in the Song dynasty was mainly followed by the literati class as well as the wealthy in following themes of aesthetic sophistication. These incense burners also symbolize social status and one’s cultural refinement that has been cultivated in their circle, specifically, “the refined sensibility of Song dynasty China’s cultural elite—members of the imperial court as well as newly affluent and well-educated classes of merchants and government officials…” (Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck). When society started to use this as a marker of social distinction, the wealthy and educated classes used these ceramics to differentiate themselves from common folks which further emphasized their greater access to high-quality materials like Qingbai ware, knowledge, and refined tastes. Functionally, these incense burners helped a lot of artists and poets in terms of “dissipating gloom and stimulating artistic creativity…” (Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck) which further demonstrates the class divide and sophistication because common folks were more worried about surviving society rather than enjoying the monetary bliss.
Qingbai Ware Glaze
The whole ceramic piece has this pastel blue tint coloration throughout the whole structure due to the usage of Qingbai ware’s glaze. Qingbai ware was the material that was used to create this medium, as stated by the Art Institute of Chicago, “porcelain with underglaze molded and carved decoration…” (Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck), illustrating the intricate technique and processes that it went under. During the Song Dynasty, Qingbai ware got popular because artisans were able to achieve the almost translucent “jade-like glaze hues…[where] the blue-greenish white colouration of Qingbai glazes is generally attributed to the introduction of minute quantities of iron oxide and firing in a reducing atmosphere…” (Xing et al. 1). These iron ions are very important in the Qingbai glazing process because the iron contributed to the “absorption of photons at different wavelengths… serving as the primary colourant” (Xing et al. 1) that many artisans and consumers wanted as it was never done before in other porcelain glazing process. Additionally, the temperature also made a big impact on the glazing technique where the constant firing and cooling allowed the glaze to be at a certain thickness with larger bubbles (Xing et al. 7) also attributed to the greenish whitish color that Qingbai ware is known for. This anatomic makeup of this glaze was distinctly found in “Jingdezhen district in Jiangxi Province”, with the techniques, materials, and innovation developed by the artisans in this district, not long after, this part of the world was renamed “the porcelain capital…” (Ming et al. 1).
Global Trade and Cultural Diffusion
A lot of their Song’s high-quality ceramic artifacts (Qingbai ware) spread throughout the world which led to parts of Jiangxi Province being coined as Porcelain capital. During this time, the Song Dynasty was facing huge threats from their Northern frontier as well as different ethnic groups like the Mongols, Khitans, and Jurchens (Lim 3) and in hopes of gaining another revenue stream, maritime trading was highly encouraged which led to the development of ports in Guangdong to help establish this network. With this strategic move, as a result, they managed to develop their huge maritime network that spans Southeast Asia and even further out to the Mediterranean world (Lim 1) which led to global recognition of Qingbai ware. Furthermore, not all ceramics were coming from Jingdezhen kiln, as some were coming from other kilns in the area which also highlights some quality differences in the craftsmanship. But the quality differences were working in Song’s favor in terms of distributing their artifacts because it led to their version of market segmentation where people from different wealth points wanted to access, and merchants saw “unprecedented distribution and consumption of Chinese ceramics…” (Lim 4) as a result. It also illustrates the high perceived value of Qingbai ware itself because consumers already knew that regardless of the quality of these pieces, the beauty and intricacy still make buying one worth it, which also promotes Song’s global cultural exchange in Southeast Asia as consumers prefer to buy these pieces versus domestically produced ones. In addition to the maritime trade networks to Southeast Asia, the Chinese were able to further expand their trade routes in the “Western Indian Ocean” (Zhao 46) finally reaching East Africa where modern archeologists were able to dig up artifacts that contain Qingbai materials which further illustrates the vast cultural exchange that was done under the Song dynasty.
Critical Analysis
Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck is an artifact that follows the theme of aesthetic sophistication where it’s highly regarded in the literati/ wealthy class with beautiful motifs like the fowl and lotus carved into it to wish the owner purity and perfection. But given the historical context of this era, it was anything but perfect but rather a saving factor for the people, not only for the wealthy. The irony of perfection in an imperfect world is stark where this artifact symbolizes the perfection of craftsmanship while the governing body of the Song dynasty was struggling with how to counterattack external threats in their Northern border from ethnic groups like the Mongols. Instead of viewing this artifact as perfectionism, one can argue that this artifact helped propel a lot of cultural diffusion across the globe which led to the rise of maritime networks as well as gaining more revenue for the government to be able to keep funding the battle in their Northern border while allowing more job opportunities for the merchant class. This artifact helped alleviate some of the economic stress while also promoting cultural exports to different parts of the world.
Conclusion
All in all, Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck is an interesting artifact that transcends both symbolism and craftsmanship. With high-quality materials like Qingbai ware at usage, it was able to allow the Song government to receive more revenue to fight against external threats from their Northern border as well as create more opportunities for classes besides the literati/ wealthy. With the extensive network of maritime trading that also was in effect, Chinese porcelain was able to reach from Southeast Asia to East Africa making Jiangxi Province remarked as the “Porcelain capital” while also allowing cultural diffusion to happen beyond land. The spread of this porcelain solved some of their external threats, economic stress, and demonstrated the resilience of good craftsmanship.
Work and Image Cited
“Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck.” The Art Institute of Chicago, Arts of Asia, www.artic.edu/artworks/43060/incense-burner-in-the-form-of-a-duck. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Lim, Tse Siang. “The Ceramics of Southeast Asia.” Southeast Asian Ceramic Society (SEACS), 24 Oct. 2024, www.seaceramic.org.sg/resources/the-ceramics-of-southeast-asia/.
Ming, Chaofang, et al. “Archaeometric Investigation of the Relationship between Ancient Egg-White Glazed Porcelain (Luanbai) and Bluish White Glazed Porcelain (Qingbai) from Hutian Kiln, Jingdezhen, China.” Journal of Archaeological Science, Academic Press, 23 Apr. 2014, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440314001332.
Williams, Charles Alfred Speed. Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs: A Comprehensive Handbook on Symbolism in Chinese Art through the Ages. Tuttle, 2011.
Xing, Chengye, et al. “Local Structure of Iron and Its Role in the Colouration of Qingbai (Blue-Greenish White) Glazes: A Multi-Analytical Study of Zhonghe Wares from Guangxi, China (1100–1300 CE).” Journal of the European Ceramic Society, Elsevier, 4 Sept. 2024, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955221924007659.
Zhao, Bing. “Chinese-Style Ceramics in East Africa from the 9th to 16th Century:...” Afriques. Débats, Méthodes et Terrains d’histoire, Institut des mondes africains (IMAF, 25 Dec. 2015, journals.openedition.org/afriques/1836#tocto1n6.
Incense Burner in the Form of a Duck. 1100-1200, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, https://www.artic.edu/artworks/43060/incense-burner-in-the-form-of-a-duck
