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Primary sourceArtifact1402-1424

Yongle Porcelain Reign Mark

1402-1424

A four-character reign mark reading 'Yongle Nian Zhi' (made in the Yongle period), used to brand imperial porcelain made under his reign.

This reign mark bears his era name, showing how his rule branded the imperial porcelain workshops of his time.

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Four bold black Chinese brush characters in a two-by-two grid on a pale background. The left column reads 年 above 製; the right column reads 永 above 樂.
Yongle reign mark, Jingdezhen imperial porcelain, 1402-1424.

About this source

What it is

This is a reign mark found on imperial porcelain made at the Jingdezhen kilns during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. The four Chinese characters read, top to bottom and right to left, 'Yong Le Nian Zhi' — 'Made in the Yongle period'.

Why it matters

Reign marks like this one show how emperors stamped their identity onto objects made under their rule. For the Yongle Emperor, placing his era name on fine porcelain linked the imperial court directly to the skilled craftsmen of Jingdezhen, and helped set a standard that later collectors and historians used to date and authenticate Ming porcelain.

Look closer

  • Why might an emperor want his name on everyday objects like porcelain?
  • What does the careful, bold brushwork of the characters suggest about who made this mark?
  • What does this mark NOT tell us about the people who actually made the porcelain?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Yongle Emperor on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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