OLYMPICS /
Cultural Olympics
Colors of Beijing 2008:The Blue-and-White Porcelain Blue
Updated: 2008-08-07 14:39
When the world’s top athletes gather at the 31 newly-built arenas for the Beijing Olympics to compete for gold, silver and bronze, many might not realize that right beneath where they stand were excavated during 2004-2005 mounds of “gold, silver and bronze” treasures, some dating back 2,000 years.
Among the astonishing excavations is a Blue-and-white Porcelain Jar found at a tomb near the Olympic Forest Park in May 2005. It is a work of Jingdezhen, the country's best china-making place. Sixty centimeters in height, it was made during the reign of Kangxi emperor (1662-1723).
Porcelain is one of the great inventions of ancient China and it became known as “china” in the West. It is worthy of the name, because it is a fine representative of the splendid Chinese Culture.
The exquisitely wrought blue and white porcelain, known as gems of human arts, has a white base with blue designs, dainty and delicate with an elegant and perfect quality.
The best blue and white porcelains were made in Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province, East China. The glaze of blue and white porcelain is transparent and the base is thin and light. Blue designs are applied to the white body of the porcelain, making it appear elegant, fresh and full of vigor.
A city of imperial capital for more than 600 years, Beijing, where the emperors lived, was where all rare treasures throughout China were consecrated and collected. And the best blue and white porcelains were among the favorite imperial intributes and collections. The mild blue of the porcelain hints at the city's history and its creativity.