Page 165 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

imperial quality rather than a ware specifically produced for export purposes, suggesting

th
that by the beginning of the 19 century, imperial wares were becoming part of British

collections.

During the Qing dynasty, a high volume of cross-cultural exchange occurred

resulting from the immense export enterprise. Along with export exchange, the Qing era

had direct interaction with Jesuit missionaries. 206 Jesuits were invited to join the imperial

court within the Forbidden City, resulting in the introduction of innovative ideas directly

from the West. These ideas became catalysts within Qing art, pushing styles forward in

an effort to combine aspects of traditional Chinese art with new techniques from the

West. Individuals like Giuseppe Castiglione introduced elements of European painting to

the court. Painting practices like linear perspective, chiaroscuro, and trompe l’oeil were

incorporated into Chinese paintings. While many of these techniques were associated

with painting, they were directly applied to porcelain produced during this era. The

British Museum collection has a variety of examples that highlight these innovations. A

Yongzheng-era shallow dish with a green pastel exterior detailed with an intricate floral

motif exemplifies the Western influence occurring at this time (Figure 60). The painterly

design of plum blossoms was generated using subtle washes of color. The inclusion of an

opaque white within each enamel allowed for a gradient effect and pastel tones that were

not achievable until the Qing. The shading allows for highly realistic rather than static

206 In turn the Jesuits would describe the Chinese court to individuals in Europe. The most
notable exchange recorded belongs to Père d’Entrecolles who resided in both Beijing and Jiangxi
province. His letters dating to 1712 would describe porcelain manufacturing at the Jingdezhen
kilns. Upon reaching Europe, the content of the letters was published providing first-hand
accounts of Jingdezhen porcelain. For more on the Jesuit missions, see Gauvin A. Bailey, Art on
the Jesuit Missions in Asia and Latin America, 1542-1773 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press,
1999). For more on Italian painters in China, see Marco Musillo, The Shining Inheritance:
Italian Painters at the Qing Court, 1699–1812 (Los Angeles: Getty Publications, 2016).

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