Page 17 - Kraak Porcelain, Jorge Welsh

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Teresa Canepa

At the end of the Ming dynasty, from approximately the third quarter of the th to the

second quarter of the th centuries, a new style of blue and white export porcelain was

made in vast quantities at provincial (privately-owned) kilns in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi prov-

ince. This distinctive blue and white porcelain, commonly known in the west as kraak,

quickly became the largest and most varied group of export porcelain wares manufac-

tured throughout the reigns of Wanli ( – ), Tianqi ( – ) and Chongzhen

( – ). Kraak porcelain is of particular historical importance because it is the first

Jingdezhen blue and white export porcelain that was mass-produced and shipped in

large quantities around the world. The fi y-nine porcelains included in this catalogue

illustrate various types of kraak wares. Some of them are not traditionally recognized as

kraak, however, their material qualities along with new research has proven that they are

indeed part of the kraak porcelain assortment.

Overall, the underglaze cobalt blue decoration of kraak porcelain was executed in a free

and spontaneous style. The unique material and aesthetic qualities of these wares made

them highly prized in many countries around the world, including Portugal, the Nether-

lands, Mexico, Turkey, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. That fascination continues, as

kraak porcelain has provoked enormous interest among scholars and collectors for years.

Despite the large amount of research carried out over the past decade in China and other

countries, kraak porcelain is still di cult to define and its dating is subject to much discus-

sion. Even the origin of its name, kraak, has proved to be challenging. Most scholars believe

that the name kraak derives from the word carraca, a type of trading vessel used by the

Portuguese during this era, which the Dutch called kraken. It is believed, but not proven,

that the word kraken was used by the Dutch to refer to the Chinese export porcelain auc-

tioned in the Netherlands from the cargoes of two captured Portuguese trading ships, the

São Tiago and the Santa Catarina. These vessels were seized o the islands of St Helena in

the South Atlantic and o Patani in and , respectively. However, it is important

to point out that in the documents of the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie ( ) or Dutch

East India Company the word kraken is always used to refer to Portuguese ships and not

Chinese porcelain. Other scholars maintain that the word kraak may have derived from

the Dutch word kraken, which means ability to break easily (a quality inherent in kraak

porcelain wares). Yet another possibility derives from another definition of the word krak-

en which described a specific style of carved ornamental rails and shelves used at that time