Early life

Tang Ying was born on the 5th day of the 5th month in the 21st year of Kangxi reign (1682) in Fengtian (奉天) in today's Shenyang, Liaoning. His great-grandfather Tang Yingzu was a bondservant leader serving in the Plain White Banner of the Han army, therefore he was technically born a bondservant, but he is normally described as a Han Bannerman in Chinese biographies. He entered into the service of the Imperial Household Department when he was 16 working as a page. He worked in Yangxin Hall which housed a library of books and paintings; there he acquired a knowledge of art and skill in painting, design and writings. He appeared to know Yongzheng well before he became emperor; in 1723, soon after Yongzheng came to the throne, he was appointed to the position of Vice Director of the Imperial Household Department, acting as foreman for the artisans working in the Imperial workshops.

Porcelain

While he was working at the Imperial Household Department, Tang Ying produced designs for decorating porcelain pieces. In 1728, during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor, Tang Ying was sent to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi to supervise the production of Imperial porcelain. Tang was initially assistant to Nian Xiyao, working as the resident Manager at Jingdezhen. Tang was said to have learnt making pottery by living closely with the workmen at Jingdezhen for three years. In 1735, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, he replaced Nian who was accused of corruption. Although in control of Jingdezhen as Superintendent of the Imperial porcelain works, he was stationed most of the time at Huai'an or Jiujiang Custom Offices since he was also responsible for collecting custom duties.

Tang was the only superintendent who had a close understanding of the potting process, and played a significant role in the development of ceramics production in Jingdezhen. Under Tang's supervision, the quality of the Jingdezhen improved and some of the finest porcelain produced during the Qing dynasty were made during his tenure. He was able to communicate effectively what the Emperor wanted to the workmen to produce the ware required, and his writings on porcelain provided invaluable information on the production of Jingdezhen porcelain in this period. He also personally made porcelain pieces signed with his various names.

Tang Ying introduced a number of innovations during his tenure at Jingdezhen, such as new colours (for example different shades of purple and blue) and glazes, and introduced new designs and techniques (e.g. silvering and painting in ink black). He managed to reproduce textures and effects of wares of other material such as silver, wood, jade or bronze, copied porcelain from other countries, and he was also known for revival of old forms and faithful imitation of antique wares such as those of the Song era.

Porcelain pieces produced for two Qing emperors under Tang Ying's supervision are highly regarded, and their quality is considered unmatched before or during his time. A vase believed to have been presented by Tang Ying to Qianlong Emperor fetched a record price of US$69.5 million at auction in 2010, although it was later sold for US$35 million after the original buyer disputed the auctioneer's fees. Another was sold for US$19 million in 2018, while a smaller piece from 1742 sold for US$9 million in 2020. These yangcai vases have a reticulated form with double walls, an innovation introduced by Tang Ying in the early 1740s. These vases were technically difficult and expensive to produce and Tang Ying presented nine such single vases to Qianlong.

Tang also served for a short period (1750–51) in Canton in the Maritime Customs Service. He returned to Jingdezhen, but retired in 1756 and died shortly afterwards on the 27th day of the 7th month the same year. Although his successor was able to maintain some standard at Jingdezhen, the quality of porcelain produced declined, and after the reign Qianlong, the quality of porcelain produced in Jingdezhen deteriorated.

Theatre

Tang Ying became interested in the local popular theatre. He was unusual in seeking inspiration from local theatre for his plays, and more than half of the plays he wrote feature content derived from popular local theatre. The plays he wrote are eclectic, where Kunqu opera melodies are mixed with local ones. He wrote 17 operas, among the best-known are Crossroad at the Slope (十字坡 Shízì Pō) and Laughter in a Flour Barrel (麵缸笑 Miàngāng Xiào). Crossroad at the Slope is a single-act play derived from the local bangzi opera (摺子戲), and features a story from the Water Margin. Laughter in a Flour Barrel tells the story of a quick-witted courtesan who survived abuse. Other plays include Predestined Debt (天緣債 Tiānyuán Zhài), a twenty-scene play from 1754.

Other works

Tang Ying wrote or supervised the writing of a number of books on porcelain which are important documents on porcelain making during the Qing dynasty, such as The Order of Porcelain-making (Twenty Illustrations of the Manufacture of Pottery) (陶冶圖編次), a book written at Qianlong's command. Other books on pottery include Record of Pottery Production (陶成紀事), A Summary of the Pottery Business (陶務敘略), and Draughts of Instructions on the Manufacture of Porcelain (瓷務事宜諭稿).

Tang also wrote poetry and excelled at calligraphy and paintings. His poetry is collected in Collections of Songs during the Reign of Kangxi and in Potters Thoughts (陶人心语). His calligraphy and paintings are kept among the Palace Museum collection.

Gallery

File:Qing vase p1070256.jpg|Vase attributed to Tang Ying

File:唐英白釉观音08472.jpg|A Guanyin figure

家族與旗籍

《八旗滿洲氏族通譜》記載唐英的曾祖唐應祖是世居瀋陽地方（今遼寧省瀋陽市）的漢人，歸順後金，編為正白旗包衣旗鼓人。即《廠署珠山文昌閣碑記》所稱：「予家從龍入關，歷世五葉，隸旗百載」。《欽定八旗通志》記載，唐英隸屬于內務府滿洲正白旗第四參領第二旗鼓佐領下。該佐領于康熙三十四年（1695年）編立，馬虎為首任佐領。唐英任員外郎時，亦兼任該旗鼓佐領（第五任）。後又任內務府滿洲正黃旗第五參領下第四旗鼓佐領（第八任；接任為進士李質穎）。

督陶成就

雍正六年（公元1728年），唐英被委任至景德鎮監督御窯。後來，被遣至粵海關、淮安關監督。乾隆初期，調監九江關。後期再度復職御窯的督陶官，直至公元1756年奏請解任，並於同年去世。前前後後十餘年，是清朝在任最長的督陶官。據「清史稿」，說到唐英：「講求陶法，於泥土、釉料、坯胎、火候，具有心得，躬自指揮。」又指他體恤陶工，慎用公帑。他初抵景德鎮時，為徹底了解陶瓷，三年以來與陶工一同起居飲食。

唐英製造的瓷器稱「唐窯」，是清代乃至中國歷朝瓷器技藝的顛峰。唐窯馳名中外，無論於造型、彩繪、釉色、質地，都達到前所未有的高度。除創新之外，唐英所作的還包括仿製宋、明等過去官窯，以及各式地方窯如龍泉窯、宜興窯，還有仿外國的西洋、東洋器皿。乾隆以後，嘉慶年間的陶瓷也深受唐窯影響。有《陶冶圖編次》、《窯器肆考》、《陶務敘略》、《陶冶圖說》、《陶成紀事》、《瓷務事宜諭稿》等著作留傳後世。唐英於瓷器製品上的字畫，曾用唐英、俊公、俊公氏、雋公、叔子、蝸寄、蝸寄老人、陶成居士、沐齋居士、陶人、榷陶使者等署名。

創作

在戲曲方面，唐英是一名崑曲傳奇作家，撰有雜劇《英雄報》、《長生殿補闕》、《十字坡》、《梁上眼》、《清忠譜正案》、《蘆花絮》、《三元報》、《傭中人》、《笳騷》、《女彈詞》、《虞兮夢》、《梅龍鎮》、《麵缸笑》，傳奇《轉天心》、《天緣債》、《巧換緣》、《雙釘案》等，凡十七種，收入其劇作集《鐙月閒情》，又名《古柏堂傳奇》。另有《旗亭飲》、《野慶》兩種，未見傳本。

論其詩詞，在清《熙朝雅頌集》收其詩詞二十三首，又有清《陶人心語》集其詩文，故宮博物院、上海博物館、中國歷史博物館等處亦多有字畫收藏。

注釋