I talk about the Sumali Blue dye all the time. I have repeated myself again and again that the ability to recognize the dye pigment is the cornerstone to evaluate a Yuan and an early Ming Blue & White. The shape of the ware, the way the motif is drawn and other details are not really that important.  When the dye pigment is right, every other thing should fall into place, and you have no doubt that the ware is genuine and of the period, if it is marked. 

The only problem here is that the Sumali Blue dye is something about which we know almost nothing, not even it place of origin. It is only a broad term with certain characteristics that are common to all Sumali Blue pigments. We know these characteristics, but unfortunately, for every specific characteristic, the way it presents itself and the quality vary through a wide range. We have seen that in the blue coloration, not to say the bubbles and plaques. In the old days, when critics could only describe these features in word, they had no choice but to do it in very broad terms, so that, many a time, we simply do not get it. Now, when I tell you the blue color is sapphire blue, I can actually show you the color, and you have no trouble in understanding it. This is the beauty of photography and computer technology combined. The same is true with bubbles and plaques. The vast variation in presentation of these specific features can largely be overcome by publishing more and more photos of these features in different wares. If, in the future, every collector can show and share the specific features of the wares that he owns in photos, very soon, we’ll have a very good idea of what these particular features should look and we’ll have no problem in evaluating such Blue & Whites.

With so many variants in each feature, due no doubt to varying quality of the dye, we know that some dye pigments must be better than the others. Any experienced collector can tell you that this is certainly true. How do we tell a good dye pigment? I have told you something about this in previous articles. But let me recap myself with this present B & W—a large Xuande B & W charger.

 

Figure 1   

This charger measures 17 5/8 inches in diameter. Let me show you a few photos about the blue dye first.

 

Figure 2  

 

Figure 3  

 

Figure 4  

 

Figure 5  

In these four photos (Figures 2-5), you can see some mottling in the blue dye. By mottling, I mean the irregularly placed dark blue streaks that you see inside the large blue patch. These streaks are not deliberately done by the painters. Rather, they are blue dye pigments randomly deposited on the clay bisque of the plate. This kind of mottling is most commonly seen in Yuan and Yongle B &Ws. But, as you can see here. it is also present in Xuande B & Ws. When you see this, most of the time, it indicates that the dye is of very good quality. When you look at these blue streaks carefully, it is common for you to see large bubbles lurking inside. Can it be a variant of a plaque that is without the muddy layer and the shiny metallic layer on top?

I’ll show you a few more photos with features that are indicative of the quality of the dye.

 

Figure 6  

 

Figure 7   

 

Figure 8   

 

Figure 9   

 

Figure 10   

Look at Figures 6-10, and forget about the plaques for the time being. Concentrate on the flare. Enlarge the photos if you need to, and you can see a greenish tinge exuding from all these flares. As I have told you many times before, a flare that exudes this greenish tinge is an indicator that the dye is of fine quality. Here in this B & W, as you can see, there are many areas that are exuding this greenish tinge.

Now, let us look at the plaques. Here in this charger, all plaques are without the shiny metallic layer on top, they only have the muddy layer. Look at Figure 6, don’t you think that the plaque is beautiful? What about the plaques in Figure 10? These are not all. I’ll show you more plaques.

Look at Figures 11-13.

 

Figure 11   

 

Figure 12  

 

Figure 13   

Figure 12 and 13 are actually part of Figure 11. The spiky colorful plaques are typical of Yongle, but also canoe seen in Xuande wares. In these photos, you can see very colorful linear structures that look like thickened lines surrounding the plaques proper. These linear structures, to me, are formed by particles that make up the plaques. But in this instance, they have not coalesced with the main plaque, and are still floating around it. This feature is something that is not very frequently seen, but I would say it is rather beautiful. If you were to enlarge the photo, you can see that many of the bubbles are colored by these particles.

I’ll show you two more photos with colorful particles next to the main plaque (Figures 14-15). Look at these photos carefully, you will appreciate the beauty of the early Ming plaques.

 

Figure 14   

 

Figure 15    

A dye with all these fine features, you would expect the bubbles to be very beautiful too. After all, our experience with the Sumali Blue dye is that the plaques, the flares, and the bubbles are all related. When one of these features is beautiful, the others should follow suit. Well, I would not say that the bubbles here are not beautiful, but the only critique that I have here is that the large bubbles are not large enough, and there are too few of them. I’ll should you a few photos, and you would know what I mean. 

 

Figure 16  

 

Figure 17  

 

Figure 18   

 

Figure 19  

 

Figure 20   

 Look at these photos carefully (Figures 16-20) and enlarge them if you find it necessary. You will agree with me that you do see large bubbles here and there. There are just too few of them and they are not really very large. In Figure 18 you also see a string of four large bubbles at the right upper corner, and in Figure 20 you can see cluster of large bubbles lurking in the dark blue patch right at the center. All these are typical of early Ming Sumali Blue dye, and there can be no mistakes about that. But why are the bubbles smaller than most Sumali Blue dyes? We will never be able to answer that question. But that does not stop us from making some speculations.

I suspect this has a lot to do with the temperature in the kiln in the baking process. We must understand that we know very little about the baking process. We have little idea about the kiln and its design. The design must have changed with time. We do not know the kind of firewood the potters used—that must have something to do with the temperature that can be achieved. And we have no idea how the potters maintained the temperature nor the duration of the baking process. And the whereabout the wares were placed inside the kiln must play some part in the final outcome. In short, there are many aspects of the baking process that we do not know. It would be difficult for us to make any sensible speculation except that we know the bubble size should have some rather direct relationship with the temperature. So, here, when the bubble size is smaller than what we used to see, we can only blame it on a temperature that is lower than the norm. 

You may want to know how the temperature may affect the lacunae formation. I’ll now show you a photo of the lacunae in this charger.

 

Figure 21 

You can see that in some area in this charger, lacunae formation is very obvious.

 

Whenever we talk about a Blue and White of the Yongle period, we know that the blue dye pigment of that B & W is of the Sumali Blue dye. I have been talking to you about the Sumali Blue dye and its specific features for quite sometime now, particularly the plaques and the bubbles. By now, you must have some idea how the Yuan plaque is different from that of early Ming’s, and the differences of the appearances of the bubbles in those periods. The variations of plaques and bubbles can be quite large, if you can recall the photos that I have shown you. But in the literature, they have not the technology to show you photos, so they can only describe the appearances to you in words which, as we all know, can be quite inaccurate. For example, when critics try to describe to you the appearances of bubbles in the Yongle period, they would say that in Yongle B & Ws, you only have large and small bubbles, in very brief terms. While this is true in certain cases, and I have shown you some of the photos of these large and small bubbles, it is not always the case in many other instances. Try to refer back to the Yongle photos that I have shown you, and you would understand what I mean.

Here, I am going to show you a very unique Yongle B & W flask with very beautiful bubbles that I have not shown you before. It is not the classic large and small bubbles, though in a way, you can still say that the bubbles are either large or small, but they are a different kind of large and small, as you’ll see. You must look at them carefully. The shape of the flask is very unique (Figure 1). It stands at 18 inches in height. It would be very difficult for me to describe the shape,  but a look at it and you would agree with me that it is very rare. I have never seen a similar one before anywhere in the world. The chances are, you have never seen a similar one either.

 

Figure 1  

Aside from the shape, the bubbles are also very different from those that you have seen before. I’ll just show you a few photos first.

 

Figure 2

 

Figure 3  

 

Figure 4 

 

Figure 5   

 

Figure 6 

 

Figure 7  

 

Figure 8  

 

Figure 9  

In these photos (Figures 2-9), they show you the large and small bubbles. Figure 9 in fact is part of the blown up portion of Figure 8. I would suggest you to enlarge all these photos to the limit that your computer will allow, and you can appreciate the beautiful bubbles better. In some of your computers you may not be able to enlarge these photos very much. That in why, in Figure 9, I enlarge part of Figure 8 for you. The main point to notice in these photos is that all the small bubbles are very tightly packed. But they are extremely clear, and give you the impression that they are rising from the bottom of the glaze to the top. What is more, even though lacunae formation is not well shown, these small bubbles do not make you feel that that are disorderly, and that is why they look just beautiful. In looking at the large bubbles, you will fully understand what I meant when I say that they are opaque or semi-opaque. Are they not charming? This kind of small and large bubbles are very rare, but you do see them once in a while.  

But if you look at these photos carefully, there are certain areas where lacunae formation can be seen clearly. such as in Figure 4. I’ll just show you another photo showing you the exact same feature (Figure 10).

 

Figure 10  

You will also notice at the groove of the flask at the bottom of the photo, the small bubbles are closely packed, This is commonly seen, as you can recall, in the Sumali Blue dye of the late Yuan and Yongle period.

You must have noticed the plaques and the drippings in figures 8 and 10, and other photos. The appearances of the plaques and drippings are very much influenced by the lighting condition when the photos are taken. In figure 10, you see some shiny reflections. I’ll show you more of these plaques with reflections.

 

Figure 11

 

Figure 12  

 

Figure 13  

 

Figure 14 

 

Figure 15  

 

Figure 16 

 

Figure 17  

 

Figure 18    

 

Figure 19

 

Figure 20 

 

Figure 21

Figures 11-21 show you the beautiful plaques. They are spiky, colorful, not too large, all typical of Yongle plaques. Don’t just pay attention to the plaques. Note that they all lie within a pool of dark blue, almost black coloration. And inside that pool, many a time, you can see large bubbles lurking there. And I have said before, such features are again typical of Sumali Blue dye. You must have notice the large bubbles in these photos. There are not too many of them. Remember, too many large bubbles are not a blessing. They will  somehow make the appearances of the photos not so beautiful, and more importantly, such an appearance will make you doubt the authenticity of the ware. But, when would you say that there are too many large bubbles? I have given you examples before, and I do not think I can be very precise here. But one thing is certain here—there are not too many large bubbles in these photos.

You may also note the flare that is associated with the plaques. In some of these photos, you can see the greenish tinge at the margin of the flare which is a sign that the dye is of very high quality. I’ll show you some more of these greenish tinge.

 

Figure 22  

 

Figure 23 

 

Figure 24  

 

Figure 25  

 

Figure 26   

 

Figure 27  

Figures 22-27 show you the greenish tinge at the edge of the dripping. The greenish tinge is again very specific to the Sumali Blue dye. The moment you see it, you can be sure that you are dealing with the dye pigment that is only found in the late Yuan and early Ming periods. Not only that, this green tinge adds a lot of beauty to the dye. Do you agree?

In many of these photos, the sapphire blue color that makes the Yuan and early Ming B & W well known to collectors is apparent. A good example can be found in Figure 12. Try to look for this beautiful color in other photos. It would be a good exercise for you.

With all these features that we have seen here, we should not have any doubt that the dye is Sumali Blue dye. The shape of the flask might be extremely rare, and possible might not have been recorded anywhere before, but that is no argument that the ware is a fake.

 

Many a time, when you go to a museum, you see something very beautiful. It may be a painting, it may be a ceramic ware. Since you are a ceramic lover, let us presume the beautiful item is an early Ming Blue and White. It is so exquisitely beautiful that you promise yourself that you’ll go back there again just to look at the ware one more time and to appreciate the beauty of it. And frequently you’ll wonder if some other museum has a similar piece. The caption is normally very brief, and will seldom say if it is rare or not. As a collector, you are often very concern about the rarity of an item. If it is extremely rare, you tend to pay more attention to it. But there is no way you can tell for certain.

In this aspect, the big auction houses have done us a big favor. When a rare item is auctioned, they would tell you and advertise that it is rare, very rare, or extremely rare. This is very important to big-time collectors. They want to have an item that is so unique that you can never find another similar item anywhere in the world. The auction houses are also very much interested in this, for rarity and auction price go hand in hand, the more rare the item is, the more money it can fetch. And big auction houses have the resources to make in-depth research to find out if the item is really very rare. They would go through all reference books, museum and famous collectors’ catalogues and other means just to make sure that the information that they give out is correct. When there are just two very similar items to the one that they are going to auction off, they would say in no uncertain terms their findings: that these two wares are the only two other wares known to the world similar to the one that is being auctioned.  They would then give details as to where the two others can be found. And the rarity of the item can be quantified.

Figure 1   

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I believe the desire to make improvements is ingrained in our genes. It does not matter what you do, you always want to do it better. The advancement of computer engineering in the past several decades is a good example. Potters in the old days behaved in the same manner. I am sure they were striving to improve in every step of their way to produce a more beautiful product. A relevant example would be the transformation of pottery to ceramics. Ceramics have been with us for about  a thousand years. We have no idea when the first ceramic ware was made. The same can be said about blue and whites. But the evolvement of the quality of ceramics over all those long years are obvious.

Let us forget all other ceramic types and focus on Blue and Whites. We have all seen the changes in Blue and whites over the years. Changes that would include the shape of the wares, the way the motif is drawn, the blue dye pigments and the glaze. We seldom talk about the glaze because though it covers the ware, we look at it as the background of the motif. And because it is mostly colorless, it does not attract our attention. The only feature we concern about the glaze is whether the reflection of the glaze in daylight is shiny or mellow. 

Shiny or mellow? What do you mean, I am sure you want to ask? It is something not well defined, and very difficult to explain. All that I can say is that, with blue and white, and ceramics in general, the newly made ones would emit a shiny reflection that is glaring, somewhat uncomfortable to your gaze. With a mellow reflection, the ware would emit a soft glow that is very pleasing, and you enjoy looking at it. Ceramic collectors have a consensus that as a ware grows old, the shiny reflection, after years of oxidation and other chemical reaction on the glaze layer, would become less shiny and more mellow.

Whether this is true or not, it is difficult to say. After all, a good part of of this perception of shininess is totally dependent on the subjective feeling—it all depends on how you look at it. But for me, to say that the glaze would grow old is not true. There is no truth in this. We can all recall our own experience with the ceramics we have, both old and new. After thirty years or so, do they change a bit? No, they have not. Well, you may say that thirty years is a short period of time when we are talking about a length of period of hundreds of years, and this is not a good example. In which case, let us have another example. We have all seen B & Ws of the mid to late Ming periods. Is the glaze color of wares of those periods better than those wares of Yongzheng and Qianlong? Is the glaze color of Chenghua wares any worse than the best in Yongle, Xuande and late Yuan period? We all know the answer. It only shows that glaze color is not a function of how long ago the ware was made. I have a feeling that the glaze color of a ware DOES NOT change with time. If there is any change at all, it would be so minimal that it is hardly noticeable.

I believe that the glaze color is entirely dependent on the material with which the glaze is made. In a way, this is similar to the blue coloration of a blue and white. The blue color in a B & W is totally dependent on the blue dye pigment. The lay public who is interested in B & Ws may not pay any attention to the glaze of a ware. But for a savvy collector, the glaze is very important. He knows that for each particular period, it has a somewhat characteristic glaze. In the beginning of this article, I talked about advancement and improvement of technology, and as a result, a better product as we go along. Following this argument, the glaze of wares in Wanli should be better than that of Xuande. This is obviously not true. And this is not the only example. There are many more, and many a time, we cannot tell which period has the best glaze color.

The fact is, this argument does not apply in the making of ceramics in at least two areas, the dye pigment and the glaze. There are good reasons for this. When I talked to you about the Sumali Blue dye pigment, I have told you that the only thing we know about the dye is that it is imported. We have no idea from where the dye was imported, nor its basic ingredients. What we can do today is to find a way to determine if the dye belongs to the broad category that we label as Sumali Blue dye. That is why, even as potters in the old days know that the Sumali Blue dye represents the pinnacle in terms of blue dye quality, they have no way to find a replacement once the exporters discontinued their product. That is why, even with technology advancement, potters of subsequent periods cannot make B & W wares to match the blue dye quality of those in Yongle and Xuande period. The limitation factor here is the quality of the blue dye pigment, and no amount of technology advancement can do anything to make a better product.

I suppose something very similar is happening with the glaze. Potters right from the beginning knew that the glaze was very important. The general principle in making a glaze may not be a secret, but those finer points that really make a difference are guarded with top secrecy. The Ru wares are good examples. Though ceramic experts like to talk about the beautiful color, we all know that what makes Ru ware unique is the glaze. Without the beautiful glaze, Ru ware would not have had the distinction and accolade that it has now. And yet, Ru ware, from its beginning to its end, lasts little more than 20 years. Why? we do not know. But to me, one of the reasons is that the potter decided that he wanted to keep the formula of the glaze a secret. 

Potters engaged in the making of B & Ws in those periods must have shared a similar thinking.  We know that potters cannot make everything secret. There are some basic ingredients and procedures that potters know and follow. Improvement in these would lead to, without a doubt, a better product. But many potters would keep certain ingredients and methods to themselves, and would not tell even their own sons the secret. That is why the glaze color varies even among Yongle B & Ws. I can give you another example. Chenghua wares are known to be beautiful with very fine glaze. But potters in Hongzhi, the emperor that succeeded Chenghua, were not able to make wares that are nearly as beautiful, and that would include the glaze. The point that I am trying to make is that in preparing the glaze, there must be a lot of secrets, and technology advancement is often offset by this secrecy. And in many cases, instead of advancement, there might actually be regression.

It is unfortunate that we have not yet found a marker for a good glaze. The best that we can manage is to bank on our subjective feeling and decide for ourself what is a soft, subtle glow that is pleasing to our eyes. However, savvy and wise collectors can easily tell a good glaze from a bad one.

With all these said, I am going to show you a Yuan B & W bowl that I think was made very early on, and probably one of the earliest B & W that we have seen. I’ll explain why.

 

Figure 1 

 

Figure 2 

This Blue and White Yuan fish bowl measures 6 3/8 inches in diameter (Figure 1 and Figure 2). I am sure you will agree with me that the glaze is a little dull. It lacks a beautiful glow. The way the motif is drawn is lively—both the fish and the sea weed. You will also note that the fish is quite unlike fishes that are found in Yuan wares. That alone makes it an interesting bowl. The blue dye does not stand out when you are looking at the bowl even at close range. However, if you are looking at the dye with a magnifying glass, it is a totally different story.

The blue dye is, in fact, most beautiful. When you hold the bowl in your hands, you do not see the blue dye pigment very well. The nature of the glaze that is not exactly crystal clear has partly obscured the blue coloration. That is why the beautiful blue color does not show up instantly when you pick up the bowl. This less than perfect nature of the glaze must represent something primitive, when potters making the earliest blue and white first developed their glaze. However, if you are going to look at the dye pigment under a magnifying glass, the beautiful dye pigment definitely would more than compensate the slight defect that the bowl has with the glaze.   

Let me first show you some very nice color this bowl has.

 

Figure 3 

 

Figure 4   

 

Figure 5   

 

Figure 6  

 

Figure 7  

 

Figure 8  

 

Figure 9  

I have told you many times before that the sapphire blue color is about the best blue color you can see in the Sumali Blue dye. Not just any sapphire, but the best sapphire. If you have a sapphire that carries this blue, I am sure you will like it. And this bowl no doubt has this nice blue. Here, the blue color all follows the same pattern. In the center is the plaque. It is surrounded by some very dark blue, almost black coloration. further out, the dark color lightens, with many shades of beautiful blue as it fades out, until it becomes a light blue.

In these photos you can also see the typical Yuan plaques and bubbles. But I’ll show you the plaques under the sun (Figures 10-15).

 

Figure 10 

 

Figure 11  

 

Figure 12  

 

Figure 13  

 

Figure 14   

 

Figure 15  

Look at these plaques under the sun, and compare them to Figures 3-9, you will realize how beautiful the plaques are. They are typical Yuan plaques. I have included Figure 15 where a big plaque is out of focus. But it is here that you appreciate the multi-color nature of the plaque better.

In these photos, When you enlarge them, you can see the bubbles well. Note the large and small bubbles. Many of the large bubbles are pearly white. They are not too large, definitely smaller than those in the Yongle era. The small bubbles are not tightly packed, but you can see lacunae formation very well in many places. But I’ll show you a few photos of the large pearly white bubbles, and small bubbles in lacunae formation (Figures 16-20). 

 

Figure 16 

 

Figure 17 

 

Figure 18  

 

Figure 19   

 

Figure 20 

You will note that the pearly white large bubbles are particularly abundant here in this bowl. I have always considered pearly white bubbles beautiful. In Yongle and Xuande B & Ws, these pearly bubbles have become less common. You can see them, but not as many as here. 

But, in this bowl, I think the most eye catching, and I try not to use the word spectacular, feature is the flare and the dripping. Look at Figure 20, these flares are obvious. They represent the heavier components of the plaque that drips down more rapidly under gravity than the rest. And their presence always make the appearance much better. In this bowl, there are many places that show similar flares. Look at all the photos I have shown you here, every single one of them has  flares that take different form. I have told you previously that flares of this nature indicates that the dye is of superb quality, and looking at these, would you agree with me?

Let me show you more photos that have such flares and drippings (Figures 21-26).

 

Figure 21 

 

Figure 22  

 

Figure 23  

 

Figure 24  

 

Figure 25 

 

Figure 26  

These photos, showing the flares and drippings, together with photos that show the colorful plaques, the pearly bubbles indicate that the dye pigment is of a very high standard. We cannot say if the dye belongs to the earlier batches of dye that made their way into China from the exporters, but we should not be surprised if this is really the case. Exporters, when they tried to  established a trade relationship with the buyers, often made extra efforts to promote the product by using the best ingredients possible. This can well be the case. And taking into account of the less than perfect glaze, which is likely to be produced when it was first invented, this bowl may very well be one of the earliest B & Ws.

 

I talk about the blue color of the Sumali Blue dye very often. The blue color is not uniform, and has many different shades of blue. That is why it is unwise to determine if a ware belongs to the early Ming period by the blue color. But you do find some very beautiful blue color in some Sumali Blue dye pigments, what I would say is sapphire blue—a blue color that can only be seen in the best sapphires. If you see that, and if you recognize that, the chances for the Blue and White to be genuine will be very high. But then, this needs experience, and to rely on experience to determine if the Blue and White is genuine is something I want to avoid. That is why the characteristic features of the dye pigment, rather than the blue color, albeit it might be of a very good sapphire blue, is so important. These features have the final say if the Blue and White is genuine.

Traditional experts also pay a lot of attention to the way the decoration theme is drawn. The strokes should be natural, forceful and beautiful. There is no doubt that this is important, but the problem with this is that this is too subjective, and the opinion might not be shared with other experts. Still, it is something we need to bear in mind all the time.

I am now going to show you a Yongle flask that I think has a very good blue color and is very nicely drawn. But the important issue here is that the characteristic features are also very distinctive, you will not mistake it for a reproduction.

 

Figure 1  

It measures 8 3/4 inches tall. A look at it and you would agree with me that the blue color is beautiful, and the theme of the decoration is lively drawn. But the important issue here is the characteristic features of the dye pigment.

Let me first show you a close-up photo of this flask.

 

Figure 2

First, let us look at the color. Right at the center is a plaque that is surrounded by a very deep blue color that you can say is black. From there, extending outwards, the blue color gradually fades into a very light blue. In between is what is interesting, you must pay good attention to this. Somewhere along this, you will see a blue color that mimics a sapphire that you like—it all depends on your taste. If you like a dark sapphire, the large patch that is near the center plaque is the color you want. Moving further out, near that large bluish bubble, is several shades of blue. Not as dark as the patch in the center, but very beautiful blue color. This is what I call sapphire blue. But the blue color is not the verdict to conclude that the flask is genuine, but rather the features of the dye pigment.

Look at the bubbles, just large and small bubbles, very typical of Yongle. The large bluish bubble is worthy of note. It is half opaque, and is almost completely surrounded by a rim of what looks like small bubbles. The other large bubbles also have this feature. The small bubbles are clear and distinct. Looking at them, you have a feeling that they are rising to the surface. I suppose at the bottom, right on top of the clay bisque, there is a minute nidus that gives out bubbles. When a bubble is first formed, it is small. As it rises through the thickness of the glaze layer, it gets slightly bigger. Now, the nidus is continually generating bubbles, one after another. These bubbles, when moving up, one after another, and helped by the micro-current that is set up by the heat of the kiln, they form some sort of a slight curve. From this observation, we cam also conclude that the glaze layer is not too thin. And you need to remember that these are special features of the Sumali Blue dye.

The plaques here are typical. They do not have the tiny metallic layer on top, they only have the muddy layer at the bottom. And under the sun, a few areas give reflection of the sunlight. You can also see the flare below the plaque. These are again unique characters of the Sumali Blue dye. I can go so far as to say that, by looking at this picture alone, this picture must have been taken from a ware that uses the Sumali Blue dye. In another word, this is a genuine early Ming ware. But I’ll show you more.

I’ll show you more plaques first.

 

 Figure 3

 

Figure 4  

 

Figure 5 

Figures 3-5 are in fact taken from the same site. I include Figure 5 because I think the reflective blurred view of the plaques give you a better feeling of the colorful nature of the plaque. But here I want you to pay attention to the flare that is just below the reflective plaques, particularly Figure 3. You will notice that there, part of the plaque has something like a triangle. But in Figures 4 and 5, you don’t see that. It only show you the subtlety of these photos—a slight change in angle, and things will look different. But the real important issue here is that, once you see something like Figure 3, you know you are dealing with a dye pigment that can only be the Sumali Blue dye. No other dye will give you this feature.   

Let me show you another three photos taken at the same site, but under different lighting conditions.

 

Figure 6  

 

Figure 7   

 

Figure 8  

Now, these three close-up photos of a muddy layer can tell you exactly how beautiful the muddy layer can be. Note also the flares and the pearly large bubbles whose half-opacity also varies with the light condition. But the most beautiful, to me, is the sapphire blue color, particularly in Figure 8. If it were not for the very small bubbles acting as a sort of shield to hide much of the blue coloration, the sapphire blue would have been intense. Now, seeing the blue coloration emitting among the small bubbles, it give you a different impression, an impression that is even more beautiful, thanks to the beauty of the small bubbles. As I have said before, there is no definition for a beautiful blue color. But here I can show you what that definition should be.

I will show you a few more photos of these plaques without any metallic layer on top, all that you see is the muddy layer.

 

Figure 9  

 

Figure 10 

 

Figure 11

 

Figure 12  

 

Figure 13   

 

Figure 14  

 

Figure 15

 

Figure 16   

You must look at these photos carefully, and be familiar with the way the plaques, the flares and the bubbles present themselves. In figure 16, the greenish coloration of the flare is specially prominent. This green coloration of the flare, and I have said many times before, indicates that the dye is of very good quality. In this photo, you can also see a few large bubbles, but you have to pay attention to the lacunae formation of the small bubbles. 

I’ll now show you a few photos showing the large bubbles and lacunae formation of the small ones.

 

Figure 17  

 

Figure 18 

 

Figure 19

 

Figure 20 

 

Figure 21  

 

Figure 22  

 

Figure 23  

 

Figure 24  

 

Figure 25  

These photos of large and small bubbles, with rather tightly packed lacunae, are typical of early Ming blue and whites. Experts have said it all along that it is difficult to tell Yongle and Xuande apart, for good reasons. What do you think? I myself would say that it is a Yongle.