Qingbai Religious Figurines

Qingbai religious figurines are small-scale devotional sculptures produced primarily at Jingdezhen and associated kiln sites during the Southern Song and Yuan periods (12th–14th century). These figures were intended for household shrines, personal altars, and small-scale devotional practice, rather than for state temple display or large monumental contexts. Their aesthetic relies on the visual subtlety created by the translucent Qingbai glaze over softly modeled forms.

Historical Context

During the Southern Song period, devotional practice within private households expanded across both urban and literate courtiers’ circles. Portable, affordable, and visually refined ceramic imagery supported domestic religious life alongside wood, bronze, and lacquer devotional objects. Jingdezhen’s development of translucent Qingbai glaze provided the material foundation for figures suited to intimate viewing distance and contemplative use.

While Buddhist subjects are predominant, some figures also reflect **Doumu, Guanyin-as-merciful-intercessor, and child-giving devotional imagery associated with household well-being and protection.

Materials and Glaze

Qingbai devotional figures are formed of:

Porcelain bodies refined for whiteness and thin-walled translucency
A clear blue-green glaze, achieved through low iron content and reduction firing

The glaze pools in recesses of drapery folds and hair contours, creating soft modulation that lends the figure a gentle, atmospheric presence. Details are intentionally understated, depending on light reflection rather than sharply engraved line.

Subjects and Iconography

Common subjects include:

Guanyin in seated or standing positions, often with lowered gaze or contemplative demeanor
Seated Buddha figures with simplified robe and minimal gesture articulation
Infant-holding Guanyin associated with domestic blessing practices
Small bodhisattva figures with rounded facial forms and modest adornment

Iconography is non-monumental and non-narrative, emphasizing presence, calmness, and devotional accessibility rather than didactic symbolism.

Stylistic Characteristics

Figurines exhibit:

Soft, rounded modeling of facial features
Drapery folds rendered as broad, shallow ridges
Minimal jewelry or symbolic attribute elaboration
Bodies and garments merging gently under glaze translucency

These qualities align with Southern Song aesthetics of **quiet refinement** (雅 *ya*) and **restrained expression**.

Forms and Scale

Typical sizes range from:

8 to 25 cm for domestic altar display
Occasionally up to 35 cm for larger household shrines

Base forms include:

Flat bases for table placement
Lotus-petal platform bases, molded rather than carved
Hollow interiors to reduce firing stress and maintain thinness

Kiln Sites and Archaeological Evidence

Primary sites:

Jingdezhen (Hutian kiln complex) — main source of Qingbai figurines
Satellite kilns in Jiangxi providing supplementary production

Excavations reveal:

Mold fragments for repeated torso and face types
Unfired figurine bodies with attached coil-built components
Waster fragments showing glaze pooling around drapery relief

These finds confirm repeatable sculptural model types intentionally adapted for glaze translucency.

Cultural Function

Qingbai religious figurines served:

Personal devotional practice
Household protection and blessing
Informal meditation contexts
Shrine assemblages combining incense, offering dishes, and flowers

Their role was intimate, not institutional or ceremonial.

References

Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Pierson, Stacey. Song Ceramics: Art, History and Archaeology. British Museum Press.
Medley, Margaret. The Chinese Potter: A Practical History of Chinese Ceramics. Phaidon.
Li Zhiyan (李知宴), ed. Zhongguo Tao ci Quan shu (中国陶瓷全书). Beijing: Shanghai Kexue Jishu Chubanshe.
Watt, James C. Y., and Denise Patry Leidy. Defining Yongle: Imperial Art in Early Fifteenth-Century China. Metropolitan Museum of Art.