Qianjiang porcelain

[peterp]

Qianjiang decorations have a different origin than other porcelain decorations. Qianjiang decorations used similar painting styles and subjects as paintings on paper or silk.

Basically, the first such decorations seem to have been painted by some 'literati', which in ancient China means scholars and other educated people, not of the working class, usually. Then, as now, some Chinese write calligraphy as a hobby, in addition, in the old times some also painted.
The first Qianjiang decoration were made by such people in the Daoguang reign, but none of their works are extant.

In the 19th century there was fighting in the porcelain town of Jingdezhen (government against Taiping rebels) resulting in kilns being destroyed there and some porcelain painters losing their jobs started painting Qianjiang in private. Cheng Men is considered as one of the first, and several other of the Cheng family also started then.
Thus, for a porcelain decoration to be considered Qianjiang an item must be painted (1) in a similar style as paintings on paper or silk, and (2) as with paintings there is usually some text and a seal impression of the painter (there are exceptions).
The colors were originally rather faint, but towards the late Qing dynasty they were slowly replaced by stronger ones. Although Qianjiang porcelain has its origins in the first half of the 19th century, it did not take really off until the Guangxu reign (1875-1908); only few were made during the Tongzhi reign.