Cover type: Made by Longwentang
Material type: Made by Ueda
Introduction to the name: Longwentang, founded by Sifang in the late 18th and early 19th centuries Annosuke was founded in Kyoto, Japan and is the founding name of Japanese iron kettles.
About the author: Ueda Terufo was active from the end of Edo to the Meiji period (1868-1912). His birth and death years are unknown.
The author used his exquisite incised and open carving techniques to invite custom-made works for well-known brand merchants. At the same time, he formed many of his personal "Ueda Shofang", "Ueda-made", "Shofang", The seal, words, location and arrangement of "Zhao Fang Zao". Unlike most later inscriptions where a famous person corresponds to a family, Ueda Terubou made iron kettles for many well-known halls. The most common ones to this day include Ryuubundang, Jinlongdang, Guangryudang and Qingjudang.
< p>1. Knowledge of the old iron kettleThe old iron kettle originated in Japan in the mid-Edo period (1780s), and became more widely spread during the Meiji period. Currently on the market, the most popular old iron kettles in Taiwan are probably made around Showa, that is, around 1925. It has a history of about 80 years. The iron kettle was called an iron kettle in the original Japanese tea ceremony. The iron kettle did not have a handle or a spout. A spout for pouring water out was made on one side of the iron kettle, which is commonly known as "flow". There is a handle that can lift the cauldron. This iron container is an iron bottle, which is now an iron kettle. It first appeared in Japan in the Tenmei period of the Edo period (1780s), which was the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty in China. The first person to invent the iron kettle should be "Koizumi Nizaemon III of the Shimizu family. By the Azuchi Momoyama period ( 1573-1615), the Japanese tea ceremony was formally established by Sen no Rikyu. Most of the Kagema masters lived in the Kyoto area. The Kyoga master who first made iron bottles is said to be the younger brother of the tenth generation Onishi Joyuki, Okuhira Sahei. Kato Chuzaburo of Nagoya also started making iron bottles very early. At the end of the Edo period (mid-19th century), the first person to use the wax mold casting method to make iron bottles was the first Ryuubun-do master Annosuke of Kyoto. The most famous places of production of pots are Sanjo Kamaza in Kyoto, Yamagata Casting, Seijudo in Nagahama, Ryuubundo in Kyoto, and Nanbu Ironware. Among them, Ryuubundo is famous for its copper lid. Some people in Japan even buy only copper. Lid.
If you want to have a more systematic understanding of iron kettle collection and appreciation, you must start from the following aspects, that is, the history, culture, aesthetics, and appreciation of iron kettles; the functions of iron kettles , type, material, value, as well as the authenticity identification and use methods of iron kettle collection, maintenance and future appreciation. The books currently on the market include "The Best of Iron Kettles" and "The Complete Works of Iron Bottles: Japanese Iron Kettles" (1, 2). Collection), "Doupin Tuanxiang" (Wang Du's Collection of Japanese Tea Cultural Relics) and other books
Price: Three years ago, a pot cost about 30,000 to 40,000 yuan, but now it is worth at least 80,000 yuan. , 90,000 yuan or even hundreds of thousands yuan. The more high-quality and high-quality teapots, the greater the potential for appreciation. However, the price of ordinary iron teapots is relatively stable, generally between 30,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan. According to the consultation provided by the author. A high-quality teapot made by Annosuke, Zoroku, Hatano Shohei, and Umeizumi is worth tens of thousands of yuan. Since only a few of Suzuki Mitsushige's teapots have been handed down, the price is nearly one million yuan; Takagi Jiryohei, It is reported that high-quality pots from Kama masters such as Meiyue Choharu, Daikuni Juro, Nakagawa Jōyoshi, Kakutani Kazuki, Nagano Eishi, Ueda Terufo, Amamiya Sohei, etc. can be obtained for more than RMB 50,000 to RMB 60,000. At the Xiling Old Tea and Tea Ware Auction held in Hangzhou on December 14, 2010, one of the fine teapots from the Shoulang Dynasty of the First Dynasty was priced at RMB 950,000 and 2000, and another one from the Six and Three Dynasties Warring States Period was sold. A silver teapot with a dragon pattern and an animal mouth was also sold for RMB 718,000.
When collecting iron teapots, you also need to know the names of the various parts of the iron teapot. Lid, spout (also called "liu"), handle, spout, the place where the handle connects to the body of the pot is called the ring. There is a button on the lid, and the button base is below the button. Some pots have a line in the middle and lower part of the body. The obvious cast line or skirt around the body of the pot is called a feather line. The feather line plays a role in gathering the charcoal fire and isolating the fire temperature. Some pot bodies are also inlaid with two earring-like objects on both sides, called fluttering hands. Some pots also have several raised petal-shaped metal pieces on the inner bottom surface, called clickers.
A good old iron kettle must first have a complete shape, not be damaged, let alone leak. The knob of the kettle should be able to rotate smoothly, the spout should not be broken, and the scale inside is not a problem as long as it is Just let the water flow out. The handle of the pot must be able to stand upright and cannot be knocked over at will. The lid of the pot should be the original one.
Usage: For a new iron kettle, before using it, wrap a small cup of tea leaves in a cloth and put it into the iron kettle, boil it for about 10 minutes, so that the tannins contained in the tea leaves and the iron kettle The iron powder dissolved in the pot will form a tannic iron film on the surface of the iron pot, making it less likely to embroider. In addition, please use the new pot every day when you first use it so that the scale can be quickly removed, but remember to keep it dry after use. About 5 days after starting to use, red rust-like things will appear inside, and white scale will appear about 10 days later. After long-term use, the inside will all turn red. As long as the water does not become turbid, it does not matter. Please do not Clean it off, don't rub or wash it thinking it's rust. During normal use, except when boiling, try not to allow water in the kettle. After boiling, pour hot water into a thermos to keep the inside dry. Before the iron kettle is completely cold, please do not close the lid and wipe it with a dry cloth first. Dry pot lid. Prevent the temperature difference from being too large when the temperature difference between the kettle body temperature and the water temperature is too large. For example: when the pot temperature is low, add hot water or when the pot temperature is high, pour cold water. In situations like the above, there is a risk of the pot cracking.
Tasting: If you are pursuing a collection of old iron kettles, you must pay attention to identify whether the kettle is in good condition and cannot leak. The handle of the kettle should be kept upright. An even layer of white scale. Generally, it is difficult to remove the scale in the spout unless it has accumulated over hundreds of years. Even if there is some white scale on the mouth of a newly imitated fake old iron kettle, the texture of the scale is very powdery and soft, or simply cannot be imitated, and the iron texture on the surface of the kettle will also be very raw. , let alone a very moist patina. What kind of iron kettle can be considered a good kettle worth collecting? Generally speaking, it should be exquisite, beautiful in style, skillful in workmanship, good in quality, old, famous, rare, made by famous people, and of good material.
Nineteen aesthetic standards for collecting and appreciating Japanese iron kettles:
1. The name of the kettle’s production house, the maker’s signature and seal: Old iron kettles in Kyoto Among the hall names, the first hall masters usually cast the name of the hall on the pot body when making pots. On the bottoms of some old iron kettles such as the Kamubundo Chidori series, there are many pottery masters who want to cast some inscriptions such as "The East of Lake Biwa in Japan", "The East of Lake Biwa in Japan", "The East of Lake Biwa in Japan", and "The East of Lake Biwa in Japan". "East" and other leisure chapters. In particular, some old pots with the signature and inscription of the hall master will be more valuable for collection.
2. The special model of the pot: the shape of the old iron pot. Each hall or pot master usually has its own series of shapes
3. The shape of the pot: Zangliu The iron and silver kettles made in the shape of animal mouths are even more unique and original. Generally, pots of Annosuke, Shohei, Zangroku, Umeizumi, Mitsushige and other shapes do not have names, but an expert can spot them at a glance. Perhaps this is the charm of the masters' superior pot making skills. .
4. Appreciation of the handle of the pot: The width, height, craftsmanship, material and shape of the handle will affect the value and aesthetic feeling of the entire pot. No matter what kind of lifting beam it is, its normal position must be upright. If some lifting beams are crooked, just use vise pliers to straighten them up.
5. Appreciation of the spout: Some old pots that are more than a hundred years old will have thick scale due to long-term use. Although it will affect the water flow to some extent, it does not matter. The scale on the spout This can be used as a reference for dating old pots. The mouth of some pots will be damaged, but generally you don't need to worry about it. If it affects the water flow, you only need to inlay the spout with gold, silver or copper. The spout of a good pot must have smooth water flow and a decisive decision to cut off the water. A good spout looks beautiful when viewed from the side and matches the body of the pot. The height of the spout should generally be the same as the edge of the spout. Generally high.
6. Tasting of pot lids: There are many iron pots whose lids and pot bodies are not made at the same time, but this situation is more common in some ordinary pots. The lids of those famous pot masters must be It is specially designed and produced based on the overall shape of the pot body. Some pots have two lids. Of course, many pots only have the hall number and signature on the pot. For example, Guibundang pots generally do not have the hall number and signature on the lid.
7. The button of the pot (pinch): It plays a finishing touch on the lid and even the body of the pot as a whole.
In particular, the masters of famous halls or the great cauldron masters of famous families have extraordinary skills in picking small buttons for each pot they make. Pixiu, pine cones, shells, Ganoderma lucidum, fish, flowers, various animals, dragons, fish, etc. Phoenix and so on. A high-quality pick button not only greatly adds to the beauty of the pot, but also allows you to boil water for a long time without burning your hands.
8. Appreciation of the button base (gold base): The origin, age and pot master of a pot can be identified from the button base. The button bases are made of gold, silver, copper and iron, and are shaped like horned stars, Ganoderma lucidum, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, chrysanthemums, maples, cherry blossoms and other plants. There are also special buttons without button bases, such as the ring buttons of Zangroku, Hatano Shohei and Anyuki. Some of the uniquely creative button-picking techniques by Dai Kejie and others also have no button bases.
9. Appreciation of the Huanfu of the Pot: The Huanfu is the place where the handle beam and the pot body are connected, and is the center balance of a pot. Some small side-handled pots have no ring, but they are no longer called pots but are called Shuizhu or Jisu. Guibundang's Pixiu-shaped ring is a very distinctive ring.
10. Feathers, feathers and hair cuts of the kettle: Some old iron kettles have a circular skirt-like platform line that surrounds the pot and is called a "feather" on the lower half of the body. The main function is to concentrate the fire power under the pot body, and at the same time increase the fire-receiving area of ??the pot. When used on a traditional stove, it can also separate the heat of the charcoal flames from going to the top of the pot and burning your hands. Generally, iron kettles cast by the sand casting method will leave a circle of mold closing marks at the largest diameter of the kettle body, which is called "raw cutting". "Feather fall" generally refers to a ring with irregular notches on the pot line.
11. Tail drop: The tail drop is also called a pot skirt, which appears on the middle and lower part of the pot just like a girl's short skirt. The tail flap is used to guide the flow of air to replenish combustion-supporting oxygen. Most of the pots have irregular notched tails, but some pots have flat and unnotched tails.
12. Regarding the navel of the iron pot: The navel is also called the pouring hole, which is the final closing point during the process of pouring molten iron into the pot. Usually in the center of the bottom of the pot. The types of umbilicus are generally single round, convex and concave, and those with a straight back and a straight mouth (such as the umbilicus of the first Tibetan six-system pot). The sand-cast teapot also has two small umbilicuses formed by small ventilation holes on both sides of the umbilicus.
13. Regarding gold and silver inlays (also called gold and silver files): The gold and silver pattern craftsmanship greatly doubles the beauty, artistry and value of the iron kettle, often adding value far beyond the original iron kettle itself. price. Therefore, some people are imitating the old pots and inlaying them with gold and silver. However, as long as you identify them carefully, it is easy to tell whether they are genuine or fake.
14. Appreciate the beautiful patterns on the pot body: Many old Japanese iron kettles have beautiful patterns cast with precision. The workmanship is extremely exquisite and the creativity is rich.
15. Appreciation of famous quotes with Chinese characters carved on the pot body: Some iron pots have Chinese characters on the pot body in cursive script, running script, official script and other calligraphy styles. The general text content is mostly in Han and Tang Dynasties. , Song Dynasty, and poems can be seen, as well as inspirational, inscriptions, messages and other words. Some pots are exaggeratedly filled with Chinese poetry and text, giving them a scholarly feel.
16. About the spout: The spout shape of a pot is extremely important. The height, size, radius, and shape of the spout directly affect the overall shape and function of the pot. Common pot mouths include round mouth, square mouth, wheel mouth, dropped mouth, all mouth, Taguchi, wide mouth, fusiform mouth, ring mouth, etc. There are also some pot masters who specially make some original spouts to match the overall shape of the pot body. The shape of the spout should be larger, which is easier to clean and maintain.
17. Regarding the clicker of the kettle: Some old iron kettles have several convex pieces of different shapes at the bottom core of the kettle, which are called clickers. The so-called clicker means that when the water in the kettle boils, it will make a sound through the protrusions on the bottom of the pot, which is very pleasant. Of course, because the kettle is a hundred years old, many old iron kettles that originally had clickers have rusted away after many vicissitudes of time. .
18. Regarding the orientation of casting methods: There are roughly three casting methods for iron pots, one is the dewaxing method, the other is the sand casting method, and the third is the high-strength pressure mold casting method. The lost-wax method is also called the lost-wax method because the production process is complicated and only one iron pot can be made each time a mold is made, that is, one pot and one mold, just like the bronze casting method of the Han Dynasty in China, so there is only one iron pot in the world. Only, it is particularly precious and can be regarded as a collection of treasures. For sand-cast pots, there will be a casting line around the pot body at the maximum outer diameter of the pot body. There will be a small navel hole on both sides of the navel at the bottom of the pot. This is a ventilation hole left during casting. Easier to identify, sand cast iron kettles come in various shapes and are simple and elegant. If they are in the hands of a famous person, they are also a good item for collecting iron kettles.
Iron kettles that use high-pressure casting method are generally molded from left to right, so there will be a mold-closing line left by casting in the middle of the kettle body. Some pot masters will use sanding and other methods to smooth it after casting. Because this casting method can produce multiple pots in one mold, the value of the iron pots cast by this casting method will be greatly reduced. No matter how exquisite and complex the shape and pattern are, it is not as unique as the lost wax casting method, so it is not as unique as the lost wax casting method. As for the price of pots, they are still not high, generally ranging from a few thousand to twenty thousand.
19. Pot bottom and comprehensive product image selection: Pay special attention to the maintenance status of the pot bottom, such as the thickness of the pot bottom, whether it is leaking, whether it has been rusted and peeled off, etc. The thin bottom of the pot can be scratched a few times with your hands to listen to the sound. Generally, a pot with a thick bottom and intact sound will be thick and deep, while a pot with a thin bottom will make a light sound. Also pay attention to check whether there are cracks in the body of the kettle. The iron kettle is cast from pig iron, so it is easy to break. Also, check whether the handle beam and ring are cracked or have welded joints that have been broken and reconnected. The lid of the kettle should also be carefully identified to see if it is the original one or if it is decent, and whether the knob on the lid is intact. Generally, it is best to turn the knob of an iron kettle so that it can be rotated flexibly by hand. Then check whether the button seat has been replaced and repaired later, whether the flow of the spout is smooth, and whether the rust and surface patina of some so-called old pots are correct. If there are files with gold and silver files, check whether the pot is newly inlaid, and whether the name of the pot master on the pot body or lid is new and imitated, etc.
2. Hall name and kamashi
The Meiji period was the glorious period of Japanese iron kettles. The stars were shining brightly at that time: Annosuke, Daikun Juro, and Ueda Terubou appeared in Ryuubundo. , Inoue's Four Heavenly Kings, Kamebundo has the four Heavenly Kings of Hatano Shohei, Umeizumi, Suzuki Mitsushige, and Akai Hidemitsu; Zorokudo has the fourth Qin Zangroku and Nishigaki Kazuma; the founder of Kinjudo, Amamiya Munebei Annosuke of Watsubundo was famous for a while, and the Asian Folk Art Museum in Europe still collects the works of Kinjudo Amamiya, which shows the historical status of Kinjudo. Just like Zisha, there are flower products and light products. The flower products are from the Longwentang system, and the light products (also called plain pots) mostly come from the Jinshoutang system.
Yoshigata Annosuke (1780-1840), the founder of Ryuubundo, was the son of Ryuubun, the founder of Ryuubundo. Ryuubun (1732-1798) was an army general in Kameyama City, Tanba , he came to Kyoto to work as a caster in 1770. His son Shigata Annosuke inherited his name and founded his own workshop, the first Ryuubundo. Longwentang began to use copper to make pot lids in the early days. One of the early pot lid materials was a pot lid made of seven kinds of metals, commonly known as "Qibao copper lid". This kind of copper lid looks like red copper, yellow The colors of several non-ferrous metals such as copper. The lid of an iron kettle is very particular. A good pot must be the original pot with the original lid. Especially the buttons on the lid are unique and unique. They include flowers, birds, fish, insects, dragons, turtles, snakes, beasts; plum blossoms. , orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, pine cone, etc. are all used. The inscription "Made by Long Wen Tang" on the iron kettles of Long Wen Tang is usually found on the back of the lid, and sometimes on the back of the body. However, these are usually the pots made by the master of Long Wen Tang.
At the same time, two famous kettle masters who had a great influence on Japanese iron kettle manufacturing technology and culture followed Annosuke's apprentices and became Annosuke's proud disciples. These two are Japanese iron kettle makers. The famous ones in the history of pots are Hatano Shohei and the first Qin Mizo (also known as Qin Zangliu or Zangliu). There are historical records that Zhengping and Zangroku are brothers.
Zangliu (1823-1890) was extremely interested in Chinese bronze culture. He cast the totem patterns on many bronzes from China's Western Zhou Dynasty onto his own pot bodies and devices, forming a unique style. Zangroku Kamashishi did not create his own Tetsubo Hall title, which may be related to the fact that he was summoned by the emperor to serve as the royal kamashi in the palace. The Zangliu type pot uses the mouth of the sacred bird and animal in the totem as the spout. Although the Zangliu teapot does not have a hall name, the "Zangliu" inscribed on the pot body has been passed down from generation to generation, and it can also be equated to Zangliu Tang. .
Hatano Shohei (1812-1892) founded his own hall called "Kamebundo". The mainstream works of the Kamabundo series, in addition to the unique pot style of the famous Kamakura master, are the Kamabundo Chidori series of paintings with themes of landscapes, birds, insects, beasts, boats, bridges, flowers, grass, and trees. Iron kettle. However, the handles of the pots all adopt the "S"-shaped detachable handle specially invented by Guibundang. The name of the pot is placed on the back ring of the handle on the back body of the pot. Generally, it is printed with "Japanese Kamemon", "Gamebundangzo" and the first generation "Gamemonzo", "Gamebundang", etc.
In many old iron kettles of the Kamebundo series, we can see a large or small square seal on the bottom of the pot, usually with the following words: "Jiazuo Japan East of Lake Biwa". "The family is humble, Japan's Jiangzhou Asahi is here", "Japan's Biwa Lake northeast banner lives". "Kamamon no Seal" and "Shohei no Seal", these seals are generally from the Shohei system of the early Kamemon period, which was in the late Edo period, more than 150 years ago. By the mid-Kamamon period, that is, from the late Meiji (1868-1912) to the late Taisho period (1912-1926), the Hachidori series mostly had a generous seal on the bottom of the pot, which was printed with: "Kago Nihon Biwa Lake is in the East", "Daifang" "Japan's Baka Lake Yantang", "Zhuojia's Biwa Lake has Dongwai". Among the famous kamashi in Kyoto are Umeizumi and Suzuki Mitsushige of Kamebundo, both of whom are apprentices of Hatano Shohei, the master of Kamebundo. Especially Suzuki Mitsushige, because the kettles he made were all used by the royal family, nobles and celebrities at that time, so the number is very small. Only a few have been found in the world today. A light-weight iron kettle would not give up renminbi. No one can even dream of getting it with 1.8 million. The plum spring teapot's handle is made of branches of plum blossoms in full bloom. There are "Japanese plum spring" teapots, "Umequan teapot made by plum spring", and some plum spring teapots in the shape of plum spring.
Among the more than 100 names, the following dozens of experts should be highlighted. They are Shifang Anping; the first generation of Ryubundang to the third generation Yasunosuke, the fourth generation Kiichiro, and the fifth generation Mizoguchi Kihei. , the disciples of the Sixth Chajiro, Seventh Antaro, and Annosuke, Hatano Shohei and the first to fourth Zorokoku; Umeizumi and Mitsushige, the disciples of Hatano Shohei; Kamabundo Kamashi Hidemitsu Amanami; Ryuubundo Kamashi Ueda Terubo, Daikunjuro, Daikun Takara, Iwamoto, Inoue (i.e. Umeizumi), Rin, Shima, Nishifou, and Kawada Masaharu; Kinryudo's Nagoshi Masaharu, the first generation Daikunjuro, and Sano; Kinjudo's Amamiya Sohei and Amamiya Zong; Sato Ti from Kogyokudo; Eishin from Shoeido; Shozo from Shojudo; Minosuke from Unsekodo, as well as Kanetani Goro, Saburo, and Nakagawa Joutoshi from the metalworking family; Joyuki from the Onishi family. , Jōju, Jōchō, Jōharu, Jōnaka and Jōyuki’s disciples Takagi Jiryōbei; Kaga’s Miyaki Hanji, etc. There are also some family pot makers such as the Mingzuki family, the Koizumi family, the Suzuki family, the Fujita family, the Miyazaki family, and the Arisaka family, as well as many kama masters of southern Japanese ironware. Among the famous iron kettle masters in Japan, the following three people must be mentioned. They are metalworking kettle masters in the industrial technology category who have been awarded intangible cultural properties by the Japanese state and are national treasures in the world. Nagano Gashi, Kakutani Kazuki, and Takahashi Noriori , the above three people have perfected their pot-making skills, among which Kazuki Kakutani is the best master.
(1) There are many brand names in the Longwentang system. For example, Jinlongtang was created by Longwentang for high-end customers, just like Lexus in Toyota. Other halls related to Longwentang or OEMs include: Qinglongtang, Guanglongtang, Xulongtang, Wanlongtang, Xinlongtang, Shanlongtang, Dilongtang, Longshantang, Longhutang, Long Fangtang, Qingshoutang, Ruiyuntang, Longyuntang, Jinxiangtang, etc. Shoundo is also related to the Onishi family, and Shojudo is a Kyotetsubo style that spans three styles: Kyotetsubo, Nanbu Tetsubo, and local style. There are also some other hall names that are very rare, such as the hall names of Feng Zi generation.
(2) Jinshoutang (plain pot system) includes Jinqingtang, Jinguantang, Jinyutang, Jinrongtang, Jinguitang, etc. Yunsetang, Guangyutang, Shengzhutang, Songrongtang, and Sandetang are the five pillars of the Jinshoutang system. Guangyutang is a boutique hall among plain pots (there are very few halls that can do metalwork, and there are only a few famous masters, Guangyutang is one of them). Guangbodang, Yongbodang, Juguangdang, and Sanxuandang are also masters of metalworking. The works of metalworker Mao Guang are comparable to Mei Longxuan in the Longwentang system.
(3) Popular celebrities in the collection of metalworking department: Mei Longxuan (metalworking master), Mao Guang (metalworking master), Zong Xianzuo (metalworking master), An Zhijie (kettle master), Daguo (kettle master) , Ueda Terubo (Kamashi), Amamiya Sohei (Kamashi), Amamiya Sou (Kamashi), and so on.
(4) Popular celebrities in the collection of lost-wax iron kettles: Hatano Shohei, Suzuki Mitsushige, Umeizumi, Ami Hidemitsu, and Nishihenge Kazuma.
(5) Inheritors of intangible cultural heritage (metalworking technology teapot, iron kettle system): Takahashi Noriori, Nagano Eishi, Kakutani Kazuki.
(6) Popular celebrities in the collection of bronzes, beast mouths, and Zoroku types: Zoroku, Inoue, Amamiya Sohei, etc.
3. Japanese Historical Yearbook (Compared with China)
1. Ancient History: Briefly;
2. Ancient History: Briefly;
< p> 3. Mufu era:Kamakura period (1192-1334), Song and Yuan Dynasties;
Southern and Northern Dynasties era (1334-1392), Yuan and Ming Dynasties;
Muromachi period (1392-1573) (Sengoku period) Ming Dynasty;
Azuchi Momoyama period (1573-1598) Ming Dynasty, the so-called "Otoyo period", Oda Nobunaga and the Toyotomi Hideyoshi period; Sen no Rikyu founded the tea ceremony
The Edo period (1603-1868), the late Ming and Qing Dynasties; around 1850, the early Annosuke era;
4. Modern history
Meiji (1868-1911) Tongzhi Dynasty, Guangxu Dynasty, Xuantong Dynasty;
Taisho (1911-1926) Beiyang Warlord Period;
Showa (1926-1989) National Government, People's Republic of China; Heisei (1989-) The third generation of leaders to this day.