The chemical composition of blue pigment on Chinese blue-and-white porcelain of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties (AD 1271-1644)

The chemical compositions of the glazes and pigments of 39 blue-and-white porcelains of Ming Dynasty date and three of Yuan date were examined by SR-XRF. Both the analysis of the Fe/Mn ratio in the light blue areas of the glaze and a comparison of the Fe/Mn values between light blue, dark blue and clear glaze areas reveals that the samples can be divided into three groups. The results indicate that there are two significant changes of provenance of blue pigment during the Ming Dynasty and that some kinds of pigment were most probably imported from the Middle East. Considering literature records and other scholars' studies, an outline picture of the pigment used on Chinese blue-and-white porcelain produced in Jingdezhen in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties is presented.