Qianjiang is a style of painting that originated in the Yuan Dynasty in China. It involves outlining landscapes with ink and adding strokes of pale umber to highlight certain areas. This style was later applied to porcelain, where it was used to create delicate, pale-colored decorations that resembled watercolor paintings on silk or paper. Qianjiang painting on porcelain was popular from the latter half of the 19th century until the early Republic Period around 1910. It was used to decorate a variety of objects, including brush pots, tea ware, bowls, and hat stands, with many being flat porcelain plaques that could be fitted into screens or furniture.
The decorations were typically inspired by landscapes featuring mountains and water, with ink used to depict mass, tree trunks, and shaded areas, and a reddish brown used for foliage, water, and elements in the light. As the style became more popular, artists began to draw inspiration from a wider range of sources, though the name Qianjiang continued to be used to encompass all styles. Some of the most famous Qianjiang painters on porcelain from the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods were Wang Shaowei, Jin Pinqing, and Chen Men.
One issue with Qianjiang porcelain is that the enamels used to create the decorations were often mixed by the artists themselves, possibly without considering the technical requirements for durability. As a result, many earlier pieces have lost much or all of their original enamels.
