Page 151 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

portraiture like Two Ladies and an Officer Seated at Tea, which dates to approximately

1715 (Figure 49). The portrait depicts three figures seated around a table enjoying a cup

of tea, with the central focal point being a tea set of fine blue-and-white china. It is this

kind of early painted documentation that demonstrates the Western desire to collect

Chinese porcelain, because this practice had developed as a symbol of both wealth and

prestige. Other depictions of porcelain continued to validate the idea of Chinese

porcelain as a representation of societal status. 188 The still life Teapot, Ginger Jar and

Candlestick, dating to 1695, presents a realistic depiction of an array of luxury objects

(Figure 50). These objects include a silver candlestick along with pieces of a blue-and-

white porcelain tea set. In this example, the artist has elevated the status of porcelain to

the same level as an object formed from silver, in effect making porcelain a highly

valuable commodity. While the material culture surrounding porcelain within Europe

had a different origin, the value of porcelain as a luxurious object was a reality in both the

East and the West. However, in the Western interpretation the value of porcelain was a

direct result of the act of drinking tea and the cost associated with this activity.

By 1699, the British East India Company dominated international trade within

Asia, focusing shipments on tea, silk, and porcelain. Porcelain became indispensable

because it was not only waterproof but served as a sturdy ballast for ships. The

combination of porcelain’s hearty shipping characteristics and the West’s association

with porcelain as an indicator of prestige created a steadily emerging market for porcelain

collecting within Europe. Collecting within Europe was first visible as a pastime within

188 Venetian painters Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430-1516) and Titian (c. 1490-1576) include blue-and-
white porcelain in their oil painting entitled Feast of the Gods, dating from approximately 1514-
1529. The work is located in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

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