Page 210 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

International Exhibition of Chinese Art,” which debuted at Burlington House in 1935. 274

As a direct result of these exhibitions, a new wave of enthusiasm for Chinese porcelain

occurred. New stores and galleries opened to capitalize on the popular market throughout

the 1930s. Sir Percival’s frequent travels to China also led him to establish several

exhibitions in Beijing during the 1920s and 1930s. 275 The exhibitions were one of the

first documented events that introduced the general Chinese population to what was still

held within the Forbidden City, since the Palace Museum had only just been established.

The exhibitions were so popular that they ran for an extended amount of time, exposing

vast numbers of visitors to imperial porcelain wares.

Overall, this study finds that court taste has persevered into the modern era. To

this day, more than 100 years after the fall of the last imperial dynasty in China, “imperial

taste” is a major factor in the formation of many private collections in Asia, Europe, and

America, just as it was for Sir Percival David when he was collecting in the second and

th
third quarters of the 20 century. 276 Sir Percival’s scholastic achievements allowed this
study to utilize the porcelain within his collection as a representation of the era from

which it originated. In this instance, the wares dating to the late Qing and early republic

establish a high level of imperial-caliber quality. Wares from the Sir Percival David

collection have vivid enamels, supporting the conclusion that famille rose remained one

of the most popular color palettes. The level of artistry found within the porcelain is

comparable to the wares produced in the earlier Qing era. The exquisite brushwork of the

274 Hua-Tien, 56. For further information, see William Llewellyn, Catalogue of the International
Exhibition of Chinese Art, 1935-6, 5th ed. (London: Royal Academy of Arts, 1936).
275 Hua-Tien, 56.
276 Scott, “The Chinese Imperial Collections,” 20.

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