Exhibition of imperial porcelain reveals changes over centuries
In 1299, the Yuan emperor even released an edict strictly regulating the use of dragon decorations for different ranks.
The dragon with five claws was considered the highest-level, and its use was restricted to the emperor. The Ming and Qing inherited the rule.
Wang explains that a complicated ritualistic system was developed for imperial porcelain that also included color codes. For example, during the Qing Dynasty, even the royal family couldn't arbitrarily use a bowl decorated with long.
"If a bowl was both yellow inside and outside, only the emperor, the empress and the empress dowager could use it," Wang says.
"But if a yellow bowl was white inside, its ranking was lower, and the highest-ranking concubines could use it. And the status of green and purple bowls was even lower."
