The origin of Yunlong Wen

The dragon is the main pattern and the cloud is the auxiliary pattern. Dragons either gallop or dance in the clouds. It was first seen in Tang and Song porcelain, such as the dragon pattern on the secret porcelain bottle of Yue kiln in the late Tang and Five Dynasties, and the dragon pattern on the printing plate of Ding Song kiln. Yunlong pattern is more common in Yuan, Ming and Qing porcelains. Typical works include Yuan Blue and White Yunlong Plum Bottle in Gao 'an Museum of Jiangxi Province, Yuan Blue and White Shuanglong Moire Pot Unearthed in Jintan of Jiangsu Province, Red Glazed Yunlong in Beijing Palace Museum, Ming Hongwu Glazed Red Yunlong Double Ring Ear Bottle, Ming Xuande Blue and White Yunlong Spherical Bottle, and Qing Yongzheng Yunlong Pattern Bowl.

Yunlong pattern began in the Tang, Song and Five Dynasties. As a decorative pattern on porcelain, Yunlong pattern not only ran through the whole Ming Dynasty, but also lasted until the Qing Dynasty, so it can be called a stereotyped decorative pattern. The composition is dominated by dragon patterns, supplemented by moire patterns. Dragons usually ride or dance in the clouds.

In the Yuan Dynasty, the dragon pattern pays attention to the harmonious beauty of the dragon body, with the head tending to be flat and long, eyebrows like flames, small and bright eyes, antlers-like dragon horns extending to the back of the head, beards, hair and elbow hair fluttering, elbow hair like flames, neat and dense dorsal fins, slender and curved dragon necks and three to four claws. Long Lin is fish-scale or grid-shaped. The tail is snake-shaped or flame-shaped. Although the whole is fierce, it has a fresh and elegant charm. The painting of clouds is very different from that of the Ming Dynasty. Clouds are folded and colored, leaving no space. Clouds are shaped like tadpoles, also called tadpole clouds.