Boshan Colored Glaze Artware

Boshan Colored Glaze Artware

　　Legend has it that as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, slaves smelting copper discovered a translucent substance that became brittle and hard upon cooling. Due to its bizarre and colorful appearance, people called it "colored glaze." By the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1619), the Boshan area was teeming with glass furnaces, witnessing an unprecedented boom. During the Qing Dynasty, specialized workshops were commonly established here to produce colored glaze artware for the imperial court. By the mid-Qing period, Boshan’s colored glaze artware was not only sold in domestic markets across the country but also exported overseas via Qingdao’s seaports, with annual shipments exceeding 7,000 tons. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1662–1722), when constructing glass kilns in Beijing, artisans were specially sent to Boshan to be recruited, and the raw materials such as glass rods and bottle blanks needed for making glass products were all supplied from Boshan.

　　To this day, there are over 2,500 varieties of designs. Colored glaze carvings, glass flower balls, colored glaze beads, and colored glaze wall hangings are especially popular among both Chinese and international enthusiasts. Among them, the glass flower ball was first created in the late Qing Dynasty. It is made by melting various colored glazes to form floral petals, leaves, fish, insects, and other decorative elements. A base layer is prepared first, then these components are embedded according to the design pattern. The piece is then coated with softened crystal glaze, reshaped by reheating, and finally polished and cooled to become the finished product. Boshan colored glaze carvings often feature landscapes, flowers, figures, birds, and animals, and the resulting items include bowls, plates, vases, and cups.

　　Thanks to the naturally glossy and smooth texture of the material, it has the feel of fine jade. "Chicken Oil Yellow," also known as "Yellow Jade," features a bright, vivid yellow hue that is rich and lustrous, resembling liquid chicken fat. Vases and other objects made from it resemble exquisitely transparent jade carvings.