"Blue and white pottery" () covers a wide range of white
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...
and
porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
decorated
under the glaze with a blue
pigment
A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compou ...
, generally
cobalt oxide Cobalt oxide is a family of chemical compounds consisting of cobalt and oxygen atoms.
Compounds in the cobalt oxide family include:
* Cobalt(II) oxide (cobaltous oxide), CoO
*Cobalt(III) oxide
Cobalt(III) oxide is the inorganic compound with the ...
. The decoration is commonly applied by hand, originally by brush painting, but nowadays by
stencilling or by
transfer-printing, though other methods of application have also been used. The cobalt pigment is one of the very few that can withstand the highest firing temperatures that are required, in particular for
porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
, which partly accounts for its long-lasting popularity. Historically, many other colours required
overglaze decoration
Overglaze decoration, overglaze enamelling or on-glaze decoration is a method of decorating pottery, most often porcelain, where the coloured decoration is applied on top of the already fired and glazed surface, and then fixed in a second firing ...
and then a second firing at a lower temperature to fix that.
The origin of the blue glazes thought to lie in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, when craftsmen in
Basra
Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...
sought to imitate imported white Chinese stoneware with their own tin-glazed, white pottery and added decorative motifs in blue glazes. Such
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
-era pieces have been found in present-day Iraq dating to the 9th century A.D., decades after the opening of a direct sea route from Iraq to China.
In China, a style of decoration based on sinuous plant forms spreading across the object was perfected and most commonly used. Blue and white decoration first became widely used in
Chinese porcelain
Chinese ceramics show a continuous development since pre-dynastic times and are one of the most significant forms of Chinese art and ceramics globally. The first pottery was made during the Palaeolithic era. Chinese ceramics range from constru ...
in the 14th century, after the cobalt pigment for the blue began to be imported from
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. It was widely exported, and inspired imitative wares in
Islamic ceramics, and in Japan, and later European
tin-glazed earthenware
Tin-glazed pottery is earthenware covered in lead glaze with added tin oxide which is white, shiny and opaque (see tin-glazing for the chemistry); usually this provides a background for brightly painted decoration. It has been important in I ...
such as
Delftware
Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf,
is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...
and after the techniques were discovered in the 18th century, European porcelain. Blue and white pottery in all of these traditions continues to be produced, most of it copying earlier styles.
Origin and development
![Iraq tin glazed earthenware with blue and white decoration 9th century](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Iraq_tin_glazed_earthenware_with_blue_and_white_decoration_9th_century.jpg)
Blue glazes were first developed by ancient Mesopotamians to imitate
lapis lazuli, which was a highly prized stone. Later, a
cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, p ...
blue glaze became popular in
Islamic pottery during the Abbasid Caliphate, during which time the cobalt was mined near
Kashan
Kashan ( fa, ; Qashan; Cassan; also romanized as Kāshān) is a city in the northern part of Isfahan province, Iran. At the 2017 census, its population was 396,987 in 90,828 families.
Some etymologists argue that the city name comes from ...
,
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
, and Northern
Hejaz.
[Medley, 177]
Tang and Song blue-and-white
The first Chinese blue and white wares were produced as early as the seventh century in
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
province,
China during the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
, although only shards have been discovered. Tang period blue-and-white is more rare than
Song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...
blue-and-white and was unknown before 1985.
["Song blue-and-white was rare enough, but Tang blue-and-white was unheard of" in ''Chinese glazes: their origins, chemistry, and recreation'' Nigel Wood p.9]
/ref> The Tang pieces are not porcelain however, but rather earthenwares with greenish white slip, using cobalt blue pigments. The only three pieces of complete "Tang blue and white" in the world were recovered from Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n Belitung shipwreck
The Belitung shipwreck (also called the Tang shipwreck or Batu Hitam shipwreck) is the wreck of an Arabian dhow which sank around 830 AD. The ship completed the outward journey from Arabia to China, but sank on the return journey from China, app ...
in 1998 and later sold to Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. It appears that the technique was forgotten for some centuries.
Textual and archaeological evidence suggests that blue-and-white wares may have been produced during the Song dynasty, although the identification of Song dynasty blue-and-white pieces remains the subject of disagreement among experts.
14th-century development
In the early 20th century, the development of the classic blue and white Jingdezhen ware
Jingdezhen porcelain () is Chinese porcelain produced in or near Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province in southern China. Jingdezhen may have produced pottery as early as the sixth century CE, though it is named after the reign name of Emperor Zhenzon ...
porcelain was dated to the early Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
period, but consensus now agrees that these wares began to be made around 1300-1320, and were fully developed by the mid-century, as shown by the David Vases dated 1351, which are cornerstones for this chronology. There are still those arguing that early pieces are mis-dated, and in fact go back to the Southern Song, but most scholars continue to reject this view.
In the early 14th century, mass-production of fine, translucent, blue and white porcelain started at Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen is a prefecture-level city, in northeastern Jiangxi province, with a total population of 1,669,057 (2018), bordering Anhui to the north. It is known as the " Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at le ...
, sometimes called the ''porcelain capital'' of China. This development was due to the combination of Chinese techniques and Islamic trade. The new ware was made possible by the export of cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, p ...
from Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
(called ''Huihui qing'', , "Islamic blue" or “Muslim blue”), combined with the translucent white quality of Chinese porcelain, derived from kaolin
Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral ...
.[Finlay, p.158''ff''] Cobalt was so prized that manufacturers in Jingdezhen considered cobalt a precious commodity with about twice the value of gold. Motifs also draw inspiration from Islamic decorations. A large portion of these blue-and-white wares were then shipped to Southwest-Asian markets through the Muslim traders based in Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
.
Chinese blue and white porcelain was ''once-fired'': after the porcelain body was dried, decorated with refined cobalt-blue pigment mixed with water and applied using a brush, it was coated with a clear glaze and fired at high temperature. From the 16th century, local sources of cobalt blue started to be developed, although Persian cobalt remained the most expensive. Production of blue and white wares has continued at Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen is a prefecture-level city, in northeastern Jiangxi province, with a total population of 1,669,057 (2018), bordering Anhui to the north. It is known as the " Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at le ...
to this day. Blue and white porcelain made at Jingdezhen probably reached the height of its technical excellence during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to ...
of the Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
(r. 1661–1722).
Evolution of Chinese blue and white ware
14th century
The true development of Chinese blue and white ware started with the first half of the 14th century, when it progressively replaced the centuries-long tradition of (normally) unpainted bluish-white southern Chinese porcelain
Chinese ceramics show a continuous development since pre-dynastic times and are one of the most significant forms of Chinese art and ceramics globally. The first pottery was made during the Palaeolithic era. Chinese ceramics range from constru ...
, or ''Qingbai
Qingbai ware (青白 qīngbái „green-white“, formerly "Ch'ing-pai" etc.) is a type of Chinese porcelain produced under the Song Dynasty and Yuan dynasty, defined by the ceramic glaze used. Qingbai ware is white with a blue-greenish tint, an ...
'', as well as Ding ware from the north. The best, and quickly the main production was in Jingdezhen porcelain
Jingdezhen porcelain () is Chinese porcelain produced in or near Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province in southern China. Jingdezhen may have produced pottery as early as the sixth century CE, though it is named after the reign name of Emperor Zhenzo ...
from Jiangxi Province. There was already a considerable tradition of painted Chinese ceramics, mainly represented at that time by the popular stoneware
Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. Whether vi ...
Cizhou ware, but this was not used by the court. For the first time in centuries the new blue and white appealed to the taste of the Mongol rulers of China.
Blue and white ware also began making its appearance in Japan, where it was known as ''sometsuke''. Various forms and decorations were highly influenced by China, but later developed its own forms and styles.
File:Early blue and white ware first half of 14th century Jingdezhen.jpg, Early blue and white ware, first half of 14th century, Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen is a prefecture-level city, in northeastern Jiangxi province, with a total population of 1,669,057 (2018), bordering Anhui to the north. It is known as the " Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at le ...
.
File:Blue and white vase 1271 1368 Jingdezhen unearthed in Jiangxi Province.jpg, Blue and white vase from the Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...
(1271-1368), Jingdezhen, unearthed in Jiangxi Province.
File:Blue and white plate Jingdezhen 1271 1368.jpg, Blue and white plate, Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen is a prefecture-level city, in northeastern Jiangxi province, with a total population of 1,669,057 (2018), bordering Anhui to the north. It is known as the " Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at le ...
, Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...
(1271-1368).
File:Blue and white jar Jingdezhen 1271 1368.jpg, Blue and white jar, Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen is a prefecture-level city, in northeastern Jiangxi province, with a total population of 1,669,057 (2018), bordering Anhui to the north. It is known as the " Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at le ...
, Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...
(1271-1368).
File:Clevelandart 1962.154.jpg, Vase, before 1330
File:The David Vases.jpg, The David Vases, 1351
15th century
With the advent of the Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...
in 1368, blue and white ware was shunned for a time by the Court, especially under the Hongwu
Hongwu () (23 January 1368 – 5 February 1399) was the era name of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty of China. Hongwu was also the Ming dynasty's first era name.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Hongwu
* C ...
and Yongle
Yongle () (23 January 1403 – 19 January 1425) was the era name of the Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Yongle
* Vietnam
** ''Thiệu Thành'' (紹成, 1401–1 ...
Emperors, as being too foreign in inspiration. Blue and white ware did not accord with Chinese taste at that time, the early Ming work ''Gegu Yaolun'' (格古要論) in fact described blue as well as multi-coloured wares as "exceedingly vulgar". Blue and white porcelain however came back to prominence in the 15th century with the Xuande Emperor
The Xuande Emperor (16 March 1399 31 January 1435), personal name Zhu Zhanji (朱瞻基), was the fifth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1425 to 1435. His era name "Xuande" means "proclamation of virtue". Ruling over a relatively ...
, and again developed from that time on. In this century a number of experiments were made combining underglaze blue and other colours, both underglaze and overglaze enamels
Overglaze decoration, overglaze enamelling or on-glaze decoration is a method of decorating pottery, most often porcelain, where the coloured decoration is applied on top of the already fired and glazed surface, and then fixed in a second firing ...
. Initially copper and iron reds were the most common, but these were much more difficult to fire reliably than cobalt blue, and produced a very high rate of mis-fired wares, where a dull grey replaced the intended red. Such experiments continued over the following centuries, with the ''doucai
''Doucai'' () is a technique in painting Chinese porcelain, where parts of the design, and some outlines of the rest, are painted in underglaze blue, and the piece is then glazed and fired. The rest of the design is then added in overglaze enamel ...
'' and ''wucai
''Wucai'' (五彩, "Five colours", "Wuts'ai" in Wade-Giles) is a style of decorating white Chinese porcelain in a limited range of colours. It normally uses underglaze cobalt blue for the design outline and some parts of the images, and overgl ...
'' techniques combining underglaze blue and other colours in overglaze.
File:Blue and white bowl Jingdezhen Ming Yongle 1403 1424.jpg, Blue and white bowl, Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen is a prefecture-level city, in northeastern Jiangxi province, with a total population of 1,669,057 (2018), bordering Anhui to the north. It is known as the " Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at le ...
, Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
Yongle
Yongle () (23 January 1403 – 19 January 1425) was the era name of the Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Yongle
* Vietnam
** ''Thiệu Thành'' (紹成, 1401–1 ...
(1403-1424).
File:Blue and white jar Jingdezhen Ming Yongle 1403 1424.jpg, Blue and white jar, Jingdezhen, Ming Yongle
Yongle () (23 January 1403 – 19 January 1425) was the era name of the Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Yongle
* Vietnam
** ''Thiệu Thành'' (紹成, 1401–1 ...
(1403-1424).
File:Blue and white vase Jingdezhen Ming Yongle 1403 1424.jpg, Blue and white vase, Jingdezhen, Ming Yongle
Yongle () (23 January 1403 – 19 January 1425) was the era name of the Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Yongle
* Vietnam
** ''Thiệu Thành'' (紹成, 1401–1 ...
(1403-1424).
File:Blue and white Ming Xuande 1426 1435.jpg, Blue and white, Ming Xuande
Xuande () (8 February 1426 – 17 January 1436) was the era name of the Xuande Emperor, the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Xuande
* Vietnam
** ''Thiên Khánh'' (天慶, 1426–142 ...
(1426-1435).
16th century
Some blue and white wares of the 16th century were characterized by Islamic influences, such as the ware under the Zhengde Emperor
The Zhengde Emperor (; 26 October 149120 April 1521) was the 11th Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1505 to 1521.
Born Zhu Houzhao, he was the Hongzhi Emperor's eldest son. Zhu Houzhao took the throne at only 14 with the era name Zh ...
(1506–1521), which sometimes bore Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
script,[ Musée Guimet permanent exhibit] due to the influence of Muslim eunuchs serving at his court.
By the end of the century, a large Chinese export porcelain
Chinese export porcelain includes a wide range of Chinese porcelain that was made (almost) exclusively for export to Europe and later to North America between the 16th and the 20th century. Whether wares made for non-Western markets are covered b ...
trade with Europe had developed, and the so-called Kraak ware
Kraak ware or Kraak porcelain (Dutch ''Kraakporselein'') is a type of Chinese export porcelain produced mainly in the late Ming Dynasty, in the Wanli reign (1573–1620), but also in the Tianqi (1620–1627) and the Chongzhen (1627–1644). It w ...
style had developed. This was by Chinese standards a rather low-quality but showy style, usually in blue and white, that became very popular in Europe, and can be seen in many Dutch Golden Age painting
Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history roughly spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) for Dutch independence.
The new Dutch Republ ...
s of the century following; it was soon widely imitated locally.
File:Blue and white jar with Persian characters Ming Zhengde 1506 1521.jpg, Blue and white jar with Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
characters, Ming Zhengde
Zhengde () (24 January 1506 – 27 January 1522) was the era name of the Zhengde Emperor, the 11th emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Zhengde
* China
** ''Mingzheng'' (明正, 1511): Ming per ...
(1506-1521).
File:Blue and white porcelain box with Arabic and Persian inscriptions Zhengde 1506 1521.jpg, Blue and white porcelain box, with Arabic and Persian inscriptions, Zhengde (1506-1521).
File:Ablution basin with word Taharat (cleanliness) in Solos-Thuluth calligraphy, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde period, 1506-1521 AD, underglaze painted porcelain - Aga Khan Museum - Toronto, Canada - DSC06903.jpg, Ablution basin with word ''Taharat'' (cleanliness) in Thuluth
''Thuluth'' ( ar, ثُلُث, ' or ar, خَطُّ الثُّلُثِ, '; fa, ثلث, ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is a script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new s ...
calligraphy, Ming Zhengde
Zhengde () (24 January 1506 – 27 January 1522) was the era name of the Zhengde Emperor, the 11th emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
Comparison table
Other eras contemporaneous with Zhengde
* China
** ''Mingzheng'' (明正, 1511): Ming per ...
(1506-1521).
File:Ming Dynasty porcelain vase, Wanli Reign Period (2).JPG, Blue and white vase, Ming Wanli Wanli was the era name of the Chinese Ming dynasty.
Wanli may also refer to:
*Wanli Emperor (1563–1620), the 14th emperor of the Chinese Ming dynasty
*Wanli District, Nanchang, district of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
*Wanli District, New Taipei, a ...
(1573-1620).
File:Blue and white jar Ming Wanli 1573 1620.jpg, Blue and white jar, Ming Wanli (1573-1620).
File:Ming dynasty dish Inv. 2120.tif, Ming dynasty export porcelain highlighted in the CCCM Museum (Macau Museum) in Lisbon, Portugal
17th century
During the 17th century, numerous blue and white pieces were made as Chinese export porcelain
Chinese export porcelain includes a wide range of Chinese porcelain that was made (almost) exclusively for export to Europe and later to North America between the 16th and the 20th century. Whether wares made for non-Western markets are covered b ...
for the European markets. the Transitional porcelain style, mostly in blue and white greatly expanded the range of imagery used, taking scenes from literature, groups of figures and wide landscapes, often borrowing from Chinese painting
Chinese painting () is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as ''guó huà'' (), meaning "national painting" or "native painting", as opposed to Western style ...
and woodblock printed book illustrations. European symbols and scenes coexisted with Chinese scenes for these objects. In the 1640s, rebellions in China and wars between the Ming dynasty and the Manchus damaged many kilns, and in 1656–1684 the new Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
government stopped trade by closing its ports. Chinese exports almost ceased and other sources were needed to fulfill the continuing Eurasian demand for blue and white. In Japan, Chinese potter refugees were able to introduce refined porcelain techniques and enamel glazes to the Arita kilns.
From 1658, the Dutch East India Company looked to Japan for blue-and-white porcelain to sell in Europe. Initially, the Arita kilns like the Kakiemon
is a style of Japanese porcelain, with overglaze decoration called "enameled" ceramics. It was originally produced at the factories around Arita, in Japan's Hizen province (today, Saga Prefecture) from the Edo period's mid-17th century onwards ...
kiln could not yet supply enough quality porcelain to the Dutch East India Company, but they quickly expanded their capacity. From 1659–1740, the Arita kilns were able to export enormous quantities of porcelain to Europe and Asia. Gradually the Chinese kilns recovered, and by about 1740 the first period of Japanese export porcelain had all but ceased. From about 1640 Dutch Delftware
Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf,
is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...
also became a competitor, using styles frankly imitative of the East Asian decoration.
File:MET DP-12231-014 (cropped).jpg, Jingdezhen Kraak ware
Kraak ware or Kraak porcelain (Dutch ''Kraakporselein'') is a type of Chinese export porcelain produced mainly in the late Ming Dynasty, in the Wanli reign (1573–1620), but also in the Tianqi (1620–1627) and the Chongzhen (1627–1644). It w ...
dish of typical shape. Width: 18 5/8 in. (47.3 cm).
File:China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen, Qing dynasty, Shunzhi period - Brush Pot with Episode from Life on Sima Guang - 1964.179 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif, Transitional porcelain brush pot with episode from the story of Sima Guang
Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the monumental history book ''Zizhi Tongjian''. Sima was ...
File:Chinese blue and white export porcelain with European scene and French inscription Kangxi period 1690 1700.jpg, Blue and white export porcelain, Qing Kangxi era
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
, (1690-1700).
File:Export porcelain vase with European scene Kangxi period.jpg, Export porcelain vase with European scene, Qing Kangxi era
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
, (1690-1700).
File:Bottle, c. 1675, De Grieksche A Factory, Samuel van Eenhorn, Delft, Netherlands, tin-glazed earthenware - Art Institute of Chicago - DSC09950.JPG, Delftware
Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf,
is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...
bottle, c. 1675, tin-glazed earthenware
18th century
In the 18th century export porcelain
Chinese export porcelain includes a wide range of Chinese porcelain that was made (almost) exclusively for export to Europe and later to North America between the 16th and the 20th century. Whether wares made for non-Western markets are covered ...
continued to be produced for the European markets. Partly as a result of the work of Francois Xavier d'Entrecolles however, an early example of industrial spying in which the details of Chinese porcelain manufacture were transmitted to Europe, Chinese exports of porcelain soon shrank considerably, especially by the end of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
Though polychrome decoration in overglaze enamels was now perfected, in the ''famille rose
Famille rose (French for "pink family") is a type of Chinese porcelain introduced in the 18th century and defined by the presence of pink colour overglaze enamel. It is a Western classification for Qing dynasty porcelain known in Chinese by va ...
'' and other palettes, top-quality blue and white wares for the court and elite domestic markets continued to be produced at Jingdezhen.
File:Blue and white export plate Jingdezhen Qing Qianlong 1736 1795.jpg, Blue and white export plate, Jingdezhen, Qing Qianlong
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his Temple name, temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing empe ...
(1736-1795).
File:Porcelaine chinoise Guimet 281112.jpg, Blue and white Chinese export porcelain
Chinese export porcelain includes a wide range of Chinese porcelain that was made (almost) exclusively for export to Europe and later to North America between the 16th and the 20th century. Whether wares made for non-Western markets are covered b ...
(18th century).
File:Chinese - Plate - Walters 492591 - Interior.jpg, High-quality plate, Yongzheng
, regnal name =
, posthumous name = Emperor Jingtian Changyun Jianzhong Biaozhen Wenwu Yingming Kuanren Xinyi Ruisheng Daxiao Zhicheng Xian()Manchu: Temgetulehe hūwangdi ()
, temple name = Shizong()Manchu: Šidzung ()
, house = Aisin Gioro
...
reign, (1722-1735)
File:Chinese - Flask - Walters 491632 (square).jpg, Flask with blue and red underglaze, a difficult technique, Qianlong
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his Temple name, temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing empe ...
reign, 1736-1795
File:The YEN YEN Qing Dynasty Chinese Vase.png, The YEN YEN Qing Dynasty Chinese Vase, Qianlong
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his Temple name, temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing empe ...
reign, 1736-1795.
Outside China
Islamic pottery
Chinese blue and white ware became extremely popular in the Middle-East from the 14th century, where both Chinese and Islamic types coexisted.[''Medieval Islamic civilization: an encyclopedia'' by Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach p.14]
/ref>
From the 13th century, Chinese pictorial designs, such as flying Crane (bird), cranes, dragons
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
and lotus flowers
''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often re ...
also started to appear in the ceramic productions of the Near-East, especially in Syria and Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
.[Notice of ]British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
"Islamic Art Room" permanent exhibit.
Chinese porcelain of the 14th or 15th century was transmitted to the Middle-East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and the Near East, and especially to the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
either through gifts or through war booty
Booty may refer to:
Music
*Booty music (also known as Miami bass or booty bass), a subgenre of hip hop
* "Booty" (Jennifer Lopez song), 2014
*Booty (Blac Youngsta song), 2017
* Booty (C. Tangana and Becky G song), 2018
*"Booty", a 1993 song by G ...
. Chinese designs were extremely influential with the pottery manufacturers at Iznik, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. The Ming "grape" design in particular was highly popular and was extensively reproduced under the Ottoman Empire.
Japan
The Japanese were early admirers of Chinese blue and white and, despite the difficulties of obtaining cobalt (from Iran via China), soon produced their own blue and white wares, usually in Japanese porcelain
, is one of the oldest Japanese crafts and art forms, dating back to the Neolithic period. Kilns have produced earthenware, pottery, stoneware, glazed pottery, glazed stoneware, porcelain, and blue-and-white ware. Japan has an exceptional ...
, which began to be produced around 1600. As a group, these are called ''sometsuke'' (染付). Much of this production is covered by the vague regional term Arita ware, but some kilns, like the high-quality Hirado ware, specialized in blue and white, and made little else. A high proportion of wares from about 1660-1740 were Japanese export porcelain
Japanese export porcelain includes a wide range of porcelain that was made and decorated in Japan primarily for export to Europe and later to North America, with significant quantities going to south and southeastern Asian markets. Production for ...
, mostly for Europe.
The most exclusive kiln, making Nabeshima ware
is a type of Japanese pottery, specifically an unusually high-quality porcelain Arita ware. It was produced in Lord Nabeshima of Saga Domain's kiln at Okawachi near Arita in the Edo period, for the use and profit of the family. The name the ...
for political gifts rather than trade, made much porcelain only with blue, but also used blue heavily in its polychrome wares, where the decoration of the sides of dishes is typically only in blue. Hasami ware and Tobe ware are more popular wares mostly using in blue and white.
File:WLA brooklynmuseum Arita Ware Large Plate in Wan Li Style (cropped).jpg, Large Arita ware dish, c. 1680, imitating Chinese export Kraak ware
Kraak ware or Kraak porcelain (Dutch ''Kraakporselein'') is a type of Chinese export porcelain produced mainly in the late Ming Dynasty, in the Wanli reign (1573–1620), but also in the Tianqi (1620–1627) and the Chongzhen (1627–1644). It w ...
.
File:Japanese - Tankard with Dutch Silver Lid of 1690 - Walters 492386-(retouched).gif, Japanese Arita ware blue and white underglaze porcelain tankard with Dutch silver lid of 1690
File:Bowl with Floral Design LACMA AC1997.32.1 (2 of 2).jpg, Nabeshima ware
is a type of Japanese pottery, specifically an unusually high-quality porcelain Arita ware. It was produced in Lord Nabeshima of Saga Domain's kiln at Okawachi near Arita in the Edo period, for the use and profit of the family. The name the ...
bowl, Kyōhō era, 1716-1736
File:染付竹文水指-Water Jar with Bamboo MET DP23117 93.3.42,a (cropped).jpg, Japanese Hirado ware, water jar (for tea ceremony) with bamboo, 1st half 18th century
Korea
The Koreans began to produce blue and white porcelain in the early 15th century, with the decoration influenced by Chinese styles. Later some blue and white stoneware
Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. Whether vi ...
was also made. The historical production therefore all falls under the Joseon dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...
, 1392–1897. In vases, the typical wide shoulders of the shapes preferred in Korea allowed for expansive painting. Dragon and flowering branches were among the popular subjects.
File:백자 청화매죽문 항아리.jpg, Mid-15th century vase, National Treasure No. 219
File:Joseon porcelain Lidded pot to draw pattern of plum blossom, and Bamboos wtith blue pigment 01 (cropped).jpg, Lidded pot with plum blossom, National Treasure
File:Dragon Jar, Choson dynasty, HAA.JPG, 18th-century dragon jar
File:White Porcelain Dish with Cloud and Crane Design in Underglaze Cobalt Blue (cropped).jpg, Porcelain dish with cloud and crane design
File:Wine bottle from Korea, 17th century, porcelain , Dayton Art Institute.JPG, Wine bottle, 17th century
Europe
Early influences
Chinese blue-and-white ware were copied in Europe from the 16th century, with the faience blue-and-white technique called ''alla porcelana''. Soon after the first experiments to reproduce the material of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain were made with Medici porcelain
Medici porcelain was the first successful attempt in Europe to make imitations of Chinese porcelain, though it was soft-paste porcelain rather than the hard-paste made in Asia. The experimental manufactory housed in the Casino of San Marco in F ...
. These early works seem to be mixing influences from Islamic as well as Chinese blue-and-white wares.
File:Blue relief vase Florence 2nd half 15th century.jpg, Blue relief vase, Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
, 2nd half of 15th century.
File:Blue and white faience albarello with designs derived from Kufic script Toscane 2nd half 15th century.jpg, Blue-and-white
"Blue and white pottery" () covers a wide range of white pottery and porcelain decorated under the glaze with a blue pigment, generally cobalt oxide. The decoration is commonly applied by hand, originally by brush painting, but nowadays by stenc ...
faience
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major a ...
''albarello
An albarello (plural: ''albarelli'') is a type of maiolica earthenware jar, originally a medicinal jar designed to hold apothecaries' ointments and dry drugs. The development of this type of pharmacy jar had its roots in the Middle East during ...
'' with Pseudo-Kufic
Pseudo-Kufic, or Kufesque, also sometimes Pseudo-Arabic, is a style of decoration used during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance,Encyclopaedia BritannicaBeautiful Gibberish: Fake Arabic in Medieval and Renaissance Art/ref> consisting of imitation ...
designs, Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
, 2nd half of 15th century.
File:Vase alla porcelana Cafaggiolo 1520.jpg, Vase ''alla porcelana'', Cafaggiolo
The Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo is a villa situated near the Tuscan town of Barberino di Mugello in the valley of the River Sieve, some 25 kilometres north of Florence, central Italy. It was one of the oldest and most favoured of the Me ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, 1520
Direct Chinese imitations
By the beginning of the 17th century Chinese blue and white porcelain was being exported directly to Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Oriental blue and white porcelain was highly prized in Europe and America and sometimes enhanced by fine silver and gold mounts, it was collected by kings and princes.
The European manufacture of porcelain started at Meissen in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in 1707. The detailed secrets of Chinese hard-paste porcelain technique were transmitted to Europe through the efforts of the Jesuit Father Francois Xavier d'Entrecolles between 1712 and 1722.[Baghdiantz McCabe, Ina (2008) ''Orientalism in Early Modern France'', , Berg Publishing, Oxford, p.220''ff'']
The early wares were strongly influenced by Chinese and other Oriental porcelains and an early pattern was ''blue onion'', which is still in production at the Meissen factory today. The first phase of the French porcelain was also strongly influenced by Chinese designs.
Early English porcelain wares were also influenced by Chinese wares and when, for example, the production of porcelain started at Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
, nearly forty years after Meissen, Oriental blue and white wares provided the inspiration for much of the decoration used. Hand-painted and transfer-printed wares were made at Worcester and at other early English factories in a style known as Chinoiserie
(, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
. Chelsea porcelain
Chelsea porcelain is the porcelain made by the Chelsea porcelain manufactory, the first important porcelain manufactory in England, established around 1743–45, and operating independently until 1770, when it was merged with Derby porcelain. ...
and Bow porcelain
The Bow porcelain factory (active c. 1747–64 and closed in 1776) was an emulative rival of the Chelsea porcelain factory in the manufacture of early soft-paste porcelain in Great Britain. The two London factories were the first in England. It ...
in London and Lowestoft porcelain
The Lowestoft Porcelain Factory was a soft-paste porcelain factory on Crown Street (then Bell Lane) in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, which was active from 1757 to 1802. It mostly produced "useful wares" such as pots, teapots, and jugs, with sh ...
in East Anglia made especially heavy use of blue and white. By the 1770s Wedgwood
Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...
's jasperware
Jasperware, or jasper ware, is a type of pottery first developed by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1770s. Usually described as stoneware, it has an unglazed matte "biscuit" finish and is produced in a number of different colours, of which the most com ...
, in biscuit stoneware
Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. Whether vi ...
and still using cobalt oxide, found a new approach to blue and white ceramics, and remains popular today.
Many other European factories followed this trend. In Delft, Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
blue and white ceramics taking their designs from Chinese export porcelains made for the Dutch market were made in large numbers throughout the 17th Century. Blue and white Delftware
Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf,
is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...
was itself extensively copied by factories in other European countries, including England, where it is known as ''English Delftware
English delftware is tin-glazed pottery made in the British Isles between about 1550 and the late 18th century. The main centres of production were London, Bristol and Liverpool with smaller centres at Wincanton, Glasgow and Dublin. English ...
.''
File:Kangxi porcelain with French silver decoration 1717-1722.jpg, Kangxi era
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
porcelain with French silver mount, 1717-1722
File:DelftChina18thCenturyCompanieDesIndes.jpg, Dutch Delftware
Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf,
is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...
depicting Chinese scenes, 18th century. Musée Ernest Cognacq
File:Faience with Chinese scenes Nevers Manufactory 1680 1700.jpg, Blue and white faience with Chinese scene, Nevers faience
The city of Nevers, Nièvre, now in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France, was a centre for manufacturing faience, or tin-glazed earthenware pottery, between around 1580 and the early 19th century. Production of Nevers faience th ...
, France, 1680-1700.
Patterns
The plate shown in the illustration (left) is decorated, using transfer printing
Transfer printing is a method of decorating pottery or other materials using an engraved copper or steel plate from which a monochrome print on paper is taken which is then transferred by pressing onto the ceramic piece. Fleming, John & Hugh Ho ...
, with the famous ''willow pattern
The Willow pattern is a distinctive and elaborate chinoiserie pattern used on ceramic tableware. It became popular at the end of the 18th century in England when, in its standard form, it was developed by English ceramic artists combining an ...
'' and was made by Royal Stafford; a factory in the English county of Staffordshire. Such is the persistence of the willow pattern that it is difficult to date the piece shown with any precision; it is possibly quite recent but similar wares have been produced by English factories in huge numbers over long periods and are still being made today. The willow pattern, said to tell the sad story of a pair of star-crossed lovers, was an entirely European design, though one that was strongly influenced in style by design features borrowed from Chinese export porcelain
Chinese export porcelain includes a wide range of Chinese porcelain that was made (almost) exclusively for export to Europe and later to North America between the 16th and the 20th century. Whether wares made for non-Western markets are covered b ...
s of the 18th century. The willow pattern was, in turn, copied by Chinese potters, but with the decoration hand painted rather than transfer-printed.
Image:blueandwhite2.jpg, A blue and white Staffordshire Willow pattern
The Willow pattern is a distinctive and elaborate chinoiserie pattern used on ceramic tableware. It became popular at the end of the 18th century in England when, in its standard form, it was developed by English ceramic artists combining an ...
plate
File:Faience with Chinese scenes Nevers Manufactory 1680 1700.jpg, Blue and white faience with Chinese scene, Nevers faience
The city of Nevers, Nièvre, now in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France, was a centre for manufacturing faience, or tin-glazed earthenware pottery, between around 1580 and the early 19th century. Production of Nevers faience th ...
, France, 1680-1700.
Vietnam
A migration of Chinese potters to neighboring Vietnam during the Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...
is thought to be the beginnings of Vietnamese blue-and-white production. However, the 15th-century Chinese occupation of Vietnam (1407–27) is considered to be the main period of Chinese influence on Vietnamese ceramics. During this period, Vietnamese potters readily adopted cobalt underglaze, which had already gained popularity in export markets in the Muslim world. Vietnamese blue-and-white wares sometimes featured two types of cobalt pigment: Middle Eastern cobalt yielded a vivid blue but was more expensive than the darker cobalt from Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
, China.
Chu Đậu village in Hải Dương province was the major ceramic manufacturer From 1436 to 1465, China’s Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...
abruptly ceased trade with the outside world, creating a commercial vacuum that allowed Vietnamese blue-and-white ceramics to monopolize the markets for sometimes, especially in Maritime Southeast Asia. Vietnamese wares of this era have been found all over Asia, from Japan, throughout Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines), to the Middle East (the Arabian port of Julfar
Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) ( ar, رأس الخيمة; ) is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city of Ras Al Khaimah, abbreviated to RAK or RAK City, is the capital of the emirate and home to most of the emir ...
, Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, Syria, Turkey, Egypt), and Eastern Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historica ...
(Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
).
File:Vietnam (Annam), 14th century - Stem Cup with Dragon Decoration - 1989.360 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif, Vietnamese blue and white stem cup, Trần dynasty
The Trần dynasty, ( Vietnamese: Nhà Trần, chữ Nôm: 茹陳)also known as the House of Trần, was a Vietnamese dynasty that ruled over the Kingdom of Đại Việt from 1225 to 1400. The dynasty was founded when emperor Trần Thá ...
period, 14th century. Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
.
File:MET 1989 256 O1.jpg, Blue and white bowl with dragon texture, during Hồng Đức's years (1469-1497) of Later Lê dynasty
Later may refer to:
* Future, the time after the present
Television
* ''Later'' (talk show), a 1988–2001 American talk show
* '' Later... with Jools Holland'', a British music programme since 1992
* ''The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts'', or ...
. Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
.
File:Ceramic Plate (15242020849).jpg, Plate with blue and white patterns, Mạc dynasty
The Mạc dynasty ( vi, Nhà Mạc / ''Mạc triều''; Hán Nôm: 茹莫 / 莫 朝) (1527-1627), as known as House of Mạc ruled the whole of Đại Việt between 1527 and 1540 and the northern part of the country from 1540 until 1593, and ...
period, 16th century.
File:MET DT5077.jpg, Ewer in shape of a Vietnamese phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, a local folk animal, 15th century. Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
.
File:SC173509.jpg, Dish with phoenix and grapes decoration, Later Lê dynasty period, 15th century. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
See also
* Blanc-de-Chine
*Joseon white porcelain
Joseon white porcelain or Joseon baekja refers to the white porcelains produced during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).
History
White porcelains were preferred and praised over other porcelains during the time to represent Korean Confucian ethics ...
* Orientalism in early modern France
Notes
References
*Finlay, Robert, 2010, ''The Pilgrim Art. Cultures of Porcelain in World History''. University of California Press
*Ford, Barbara Brennan, and Oliver R. Impey, ''Japanese Art from the Gerry Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art'', 1989, Metropolitan Museum of Art
fully online
*
*Medley, Margaret, ''The Chinese Potter: A Practical History of Chinese Ceramics'', 3rd edition, 1989, Phaidon,
External links
Chinese Blue and White Porcelain
at China Online Museum
underglazedblue
- Unique content and discussion on porcelain and collecting.
A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics
from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
{{Porcelain
Porcelain
Chinese porcelain
Types of pottery decoration