The early Ming Dynasty is the main topic in this video which is continuing from last one. Early Ming contains five emperors starting from Hongwu period to Xuande period. (1368 to 1435). During the Hong Wu reign, a special kiln in Jingdezhen was established, which was to make porcelain specially for the royal family members. Back then, many famous kilns of other places were declining so that the skilled craftsmen were leaving for Jingdezhen kiln, which formed a phenomenon of craftsmen from all directions. Therefore, it improved the development of Jingdezhen porcelain at the point.
What’s more, under the consideration of economy, the reformation of official industrialization and international trade brought from Zheng He’s great voyages boosted the blossom of Jingdezhen porcelain as well. Hong Wu emperor called Zhu Yuanzhuang changed the policy of slave labor of Yuan Dynasty. In the official workshop, slave labors of Yuan were forced to work for the royalty for a very long time without liberty. However, Zhu Yuanzhang invented a new policy regarding it as “shift” and “Zhu Zuo” which meant the slave labors were obliged to work for official workshop for three months. For the rest of time, they could run the handicraft career freely. Hence, it made a big forward move at the production of porcelain based on the Yuan Dynasty.
The relation between supply and demand has always been mutual. Let’s take a look at the demand of that time. First of all, due to the domestic economy took the turn for the better, it caused the increasing demand of Chinese market. With the Zheng He’s voyage, the porcelain demand of overseas market was growing as well. Except from this reason, the soaring of demand of international trade could also be analyzed from four facets, diplomatic award, goods exchange from different diplomatic envoys, illegal purchase for Chinese porcelain and folk international trade.