Ceramics in blue and white

Introducing Asian Ceramics: Blue and White is a three-part lecture in London looking at the development of blue-and-white ceramics in China, South Korea, Japan and the Middle East.

In the Islamic world the blue and white palette was first adopted in the 9th century workshops of Basra, where earthenware was coated with a white tin glaze enhanced with simple calligraphic and vegetal designs in cobalt.

The early Iraqi wares briefly found an echo in China which, however, was not to last. Blue and white porcelain was developed by the Jingdezhen kilns in China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), in a period of active international trade.

In China it became the preferred style of porcelain at court during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and, despite the subsequent successful development of many other colors, retained its high status until modern times.

Chinese blue and white porcelain immediately proved so popular abroad and was so widely copied that it changed the stylistic development of ceramics almost throughout Asia.

Date: Dec 11

Venue: The Society of Antiquaries of London

Website: www.ocs-london.com/news.htm

(China Daily 11/23/2012 page31)