Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Preface

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
A Brief History of Chinese Imperial Porcelain

  • 330 Accesses

Abstract

See More

In 2004, on the title page of my book On the Twelve Emperors of the Qing Dynasty, I penned the following words, “History is a mirror, and it is also an art. It serves as a reference, but more importantly, it offers appreciation”. Recently, my friend Mr. Yan Zhongyi remarked, “As all fields of science reach their highest levels of development, they inevitably transition into philosophy and art”. Philosophy delves into regularity, while art pursues truth, goodness, and beauty. Consequently, scientific research not only unravels regularities but also seeks the essence of truth, goodness, and beauty, aspiring to achieve the pinnacle of scientific perfection. In light of this insight, I shall commence my book with a discussion of the profound connection between the imperial kilns and myself.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

eBook
USD 12.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

') var buybox = document.querySelector("[data-id=id_"+ timestamp +"]").parentNode var buyingOptions = buybox.querySelectorAll(".buying-option") ;[].slice.call(buyingOptions).forEach(initCollapsibles) var buyboxMaxSingleColumnWidth = 480 function initCollapsibles(subscription, index) { var toggle = subscription.querySelector(".buying-option-price") subscription.classList.remove("expanded") var form = subscription.querySelector(".buying-option-form") var priceInfo = subscription.querySelector(".price-info") var buyingOption = toggle.parentElement if (toggle && form && priceInfo) { toggle.setAttribute("role", "button") toggle.setAttribute("tabindex", "0") toggle.addEventListener("click", function (event) { var expandedBuyingOptions = buybox.querySelectorAll(".buying-option.expanded") var buyboxWidth = buybox.offsetWidth ;[].slice.call(expandedBuyingOptions).forEach(function(option) { if (buyboxWidth <= buyboxMaxSingleColumnWidth && option != buyingOption) { hideBuyingOption(option) } }) var expanded = toggle.getAttribute("aria-expanded") === "true" || false toggle.setAttribute("aria-expanded", !expanded) form.hidden = expanded if (!expanded) { buyingOption.classList.add("expanded") } else { buyingOption.classList.remove("expanded") } priceInfo.hidden = expanded }, false) } } function hideBuyingOption(buyingOption) { var toggle = buyingOption.querySelector(".buying-option-price") var form = buyingOption.querySelector(".buying-option-form") var priceInfo = buyingOption.querySelector(".price-info") toggle.setAttribute("aria-expanded", false) form.hidden = true buyingOption.classList.remove("expanded") priceInfo.hidden = true } function initKeyControls() { document.addEventListener("keydown", function (event) { if (document.activeElement.classList.contains("buying-option-price") && (event.code === "Space" || event.code === "Enter")) { if (document.activeElement) { event.preventDefault() document.activeElement.click() } } }, false) } function initialStateOpen() { var buyboxWidth = buybox.offsetWidth ;[].slice.call(buybox.querySelectorAll(".buying-option")).forEach(function (option, index) { var toggle = option.querySelector(".buying-option-price") var form = option.querySelector(".buying-option-form") var priceInfo = option.querySelector(".price-info") if (buyboxWidth > buyboxMaxSingleColumnWidth) { toggle.click() } else { if (index === 0) { toggle.click() } else { toggle.setAttribute("aria-expanded", "false") form.hidden = "hidden" priceInfo.hidden = "hidden" } } }) } initialStateOpen() if (window.buyboxInitialised) return window.buyboxInitialised = true initKeyControls() })()

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

Notes

  1. 1.

    Translator’s Note: “Lecture Room” is a Chinese television program hosted by China Central Television, in which scholars from various disciplines are invited to provide lectures.

  2. 2.

    Translator’s Note: Fu, a traditional administrative division in China, refers to the larger prefectures in the Song dynasty.

  3. 3.

    Translator’s Note: fou is a kind of ancient earthen wine vessel in China.

  4. 4.

    Translator’s Note: Emperor Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty (221-207 BC) and the first emperor of a unified China.

  5. 5.

    Translator’s note: The book Xunzi was traditionally attributed to Xunkuang (also known as Xunzi, 310-235 BC), who was a Chinese Confucian philosopher and writer during the Warring States Period (475/403-221 BC).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China

    Chongnian Yan

Authors
  1. Chongnian Yan
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chongnian Yan .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 SDX Joint Publishing

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Yan, C. (2024). Preface. In: A Brief History of Chinese Imperial Porcelain. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-4145-8_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-4145-8_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-97-4144-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-97-4145-8

  • eBook Packages: HistoryHistory (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics