Significance

The new findings provide valuable materials for further study on royal kilns, firing techniques and characteristics, and the porcelain-manufacturing administration system of the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) period, inspiring contemporary artists to create works comparable to those made by their ancestors.

Jingdezhen, reputed as "the porcelain capital of China", has a history of more than 600 years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties the "Imperial Porcelain Factory" -- royal kilns producing porcelain exclusively for the imperial family -- was set up in Zhushan of Jingdezhen, boosting the porcelain-making skills in Jingdezhen. It is recorded that when the factory had just been established, there was a total of 20 kilns; by the time of the Xuande (1426-1435) reign the number had reached 58.