Chinese Monochromes

Europeans thought that they had struck it rich when they discovered Chinese porcelain. The vibrancy and quality of the polychrome ware exported from Canton in the 17th century was unrivaled by anything they could create. Hardly known to them was a subtly beautiful group of glazed porcelain associated with the Chinese imperial court, today known as Chinese monochromes.

Monochrome refers to any ceramic glazed in one color. Over millennia, Chinese potters glazed their wares with recipes concocted of earth minerals and fired with a variety of kilns and temperatures to produce lustrous single-color vessels. From the 16th century, however, emperors of the Ming through Qing dynasties demanded more innovative monochromes from their potters. “The concentrated effort to create and control a variety of glaze colors culminated in the Yongzheng (1723-35) and Qianlong (1735-96) periods of the Qing dynasty,” explains James Lally of the New York art gallery J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art. “The quality and variety of glazes and shapes of monochrome porcelains made in China at that time exceed all other periods by a great margin.”

Today, regard for these 18th-century porcelains is comparable to that bestowed during its heyday. “Creating them was a technical tour de force,” says Donald A. Wood, curator of Asian art at the Birmingham Museum of Art. “They were porcelains made for the court under rigorous standards and one of the foremost classic Chinese wares.” Barry Hutner, owner of the Atlanta antiques gallery Parc Monceau and a monochrome collector for 25 years, describes their appeal as “ageless -- brilliant color packaged in elegantly simple shapes that give decorative impact to a room.”

Celadon, white, soft yellow, blue, and red were glazes of notably consistent beauty. Many colors, such as imperial yellow, had symbolic significance. “The potters of the Ming dynasty mastered the high-firing technique known as grand feu and developed new colors that appealed to the imperial court,” says Steven Chait of Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc., in New York.

The preponderance of French names for the glaze colors resulted from “French experts proposing categorizations of Chinese ceramics based on colors of the glazes and enamels used in different periods,” says Lally. European and American connoisseurship of imperial Chinese monochromes was limited to what was allowed to be traded; the best often stayed in China. After the mid-19th century, production of fine Chinese monochromes was disrupted by domestic and foreign strife. “Not until the demise of the empire did the finest examples start going on the market,” says Chait.

Securing Qing dynasty monochromes is best done through a reputable dealer. Reign marks indicative of a period within a dynasty can be faked. “Beware of undocumented items coming from the Far East,” warns Chait. “There is no substitute for good references and documented provenance.”

JUST THE FACTS

Origins:  Single-color glazes are believed to have been developed to decorate pottery and porcelain in China during the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220). The most collectible pieces were made during the reign of Qianlong (1735-96) in the Qing dynasty, when one-color glazing on porcelain acquired an unrivaled mastery of technique, reproducing every hue imaginable.

Identifying characteristics:  Elegantly simple shapes of the porcelain body, often without decoration, set off the perfection of a single glaze’s color and vitreous sheen. Without a reign mark on the underside, distinguishing and authenticating periods of production is more difficult. Among the notable glazes are sang de boeuf, peach bloom red, clair de lune, Mazarine blue, lapis, turquoise, robin’s-egg blue, celadon, apple green, dead-leaf brown, white, and mirror black.

Expect to pay:  No less than several hundred dollars for a piece of indeterminate provenance, possibly with firing flaws or imperfections in the glaze. A top example from the Qing dynasty with a suitable reign mark in place, in perfect condition with remarkable color and no imperfections, should fetch $25,000 to $250,000.

RESOURCES: J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, 212/371-3380; Birmingham Museum of Art, 205/254-2566, www.artsbma.org; Parc Monceau, 404/467-8107, www.parcmonceauatl.com; Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc., 212/397-2818, www.rmchait.com.