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GLOSSARY

Robin's Egg Glaze

Robin's egg glaze

Robin's eggs glaze of the Qianlong period.

A Jingdezhen low-fired speckled opaque turquoise and blue glaze, developed in the 18th century, probably in the Yongzheng period (1723-35). It is a bi-color glazing technique, the blue glaze being applied as a simple all-over coat and the turquoise being blown on, to produce a delicate strippled effect.

Opaque turquoise-blue glaze suffused overall with a finely mottled dark purplish blue.

'Robin's egg' glaze was used from the Yongzheng period until the 19th century, and is called lu Jun or 'furnace Jun' in China, suggesting that a connection was made with the Jun glazes of the Song Dynasty, and because it was fired in a furnace at a lower temperature than the porcelain itself.

Suggested literature: Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 923.

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