The Eight Immortals pattern porcelain bowl is 9 centimeters high and has a diameter of 22.5 centimeters. Excavated in December 1980, in Jingxi Township, Nanchong. It is now a national second-class cultural relic. The bowl is luxurious with a slightly larger mouth and a slightly shallow belly. The arc of the bowl wall extends to the circular feet, which are narrow and low. The bowl has no decorative patterns on the surface, and the outer wall is decorated with the “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” pattern. Draw a double circle line at the foot of the next circle along the inner wall opening. Gray white body, glossy glaze, delicate painting strokes, blue and white colors are vibrant and purple. Blue and white porcelain bowls, as a type of dining utensil with a strong smoky atmosphere, are the most practical and common type of porcelain utensil for emperors, generals, and common people.
The Eight Immortals pattern originates from the Chinese folk legend of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, and is a typical religious pattern based on the Eight Immortals. The Eight Immortals refer to the eight immortals in Taoism, namely Han Zhongli, Lv Dongbin, Tie Guai Li, Cao Guojiu, Lan Caihe, Zhang Guolao, Han Xiangzi, and He Xianggu. The Eight Immortals pattern, also known as the “Eight Immortals Picture”, is a commonly used theme in Chinese folk birthday celebrations. Its pattern consists of eight immortals wishing the Queen Mother a happy birthday, known as the “Eight Immortals Wishing Birthday”. In addition, there are also contents such as “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” and “Eight Immortals Holding Birthday”. The Eight Immortals pattern became popular after the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and remained popular until the Republic of China period. It often appears in furniture, wood carving, New Year paintings, porcelain, calligraphy and painting, architectural murals and other fields, symbolizing health, longevity, auspiciousness. After the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Eight Immortals became one of the common decorative themes for porcelain, which was related to the promotion of Taoism by the emperors and upper class society at that time. The Eight Immortals pattern was also a common decoration on Jingdezhen porcelain during the Qing Dynasty. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Eight Immortals pattern was still prevalent, and the dark Eight Immortals pattern began to be popular.
The Dark Eight Immortals Pattern is a religious pattern derived from the Eight Immortals Pattern. In this pattern, the Eight Immortals do not appear, but are represented by the artifacts held by them. The pattern of the Eight Immortals represents Han Zhongli with a fan, Lv Dongbin with a sword, Tie Gua Li with a gourd or cane, Cao Guojiu with a yin-yang board, Lan Caihe with a flower basket, Zhang Guolao with a fishing drum (or dustbrush), Han Xiangzi with a flute, and He Xianggu with a lotus flower. The Dark Eight Immortals pattern often appeared in early Taoist architectural decoration, later expanded to folk architecture, and later extended to porcelain, New Year paintings, woodcuts, furniture, murals, and other fields, symbolizing longevity and auspiciousness.
The Ming Dynasty, when blue and white porcelain reached its peak, had two parallel development paths: official kilns and civilian kilns. The rigorous and exquisite official kilns, as well as the casual and free spirited folk kilns, each have their own strengths. The biggest difference between official kiln blue and white and civilian kiln blue and white lies in the hair color of blue and white. The blue materials used in Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain were divided into two types: imported green materials and domestically produced stone green materials. The craftsman became familiar with the characteristics of two types of green materials through comparison. During the Jiajing period, the official kilns used a combination of brightly colored but easily divergent green materials and stable but dull domestic green materials to make the color of blue and white hair controllable. In addition, compared to folk kilns with similar styles, official kilns have distinct characteristics of the blue and white era. For example, the elegance and beauty of the Chenghua era, and the warmth and vibrancy of the Jiajing era. In terms of decoration, the theme decoration of Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain, especially the dragon pattern, shows the totem of the Chinese Loong with vivid charm and infinite vitality, which became the unshakable protagonist in the decoration of official kiln porcelain at that time. In addition, with the extensive expansion of exported porcelain in the mid to late Ming Dynasty, it stimulated and promoted the decoration of official blue and white porcelain, resulting in numerous innovations in decoration.
