Page 139 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

Chapter 3: Collecting

3.1 Early History of Chinese Ceramics

The research presented within this study has established the merit of late Qing

patrons Empress Dowager Cixi and Yuan Shikai. Both patrons historically impacted the

porcelain styles achieved during their reign and cultivated a lasting effect on the

porcelain production of China. Due to the limited quantity of surviving and published

wares, a large collection of late Qing porcelain is difficult to analyze. The global trade

associated with porcelain has promoted the movement of objects to the western world.

For this study collections found in Britain serve as the primary source for archiving late

Qing porcelain and establishing a visual understanding of iconic styles, motifs, and

symbols of the era. China and the West have a long history of exchange, especially in the

field of porcelain. Ceramics were first made in China during the Neolithic period (c.

5000 –1700 BCE). With this innovation, a long progression of technological evolution

eventually allowed for the creation of porcelain during the early Tang dynasty (618–

907). 170 By the eighth century, Chinese porcelain was considered the hardest, most

durable, and most colorful ceramic in the world. The vast amount of the raw material

known as kaolin present in China was key to the country’s ceramic success. When fired,

the clay would vitrify, creating a smooth, white, nearly translucent porcelain material. At

this time, China alone had the resources and technical ability to produce porcelain, giving

it immense value as both a ware and an artistic medium.

170 Denise Patry Leidy, How to Read Chinese Ceramics (New York: The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, 2015), 36.

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