Highlights
Canton Enamels: Markets and Patronage
A Western art form imported to China after the opening of the seas, painted enamel metalwares evidence the exchange and interaction of personnel, techniques, raw materials, and artistic styles among the court, Guangzhou (Canton), and Jingdezhen, with forms, designs, and colours provided by both China and the West. Enamels were regarded as a rarity from the East that enchanted nations, winning acclaim in foreign lands and places.
Conversation with a Collector
The Wangxing Lou Collection, assembled over the last twenty years, is considered one of the foremost Chinese private collections of Qing period (1644-1911) imperial ceramics. The collector, who prefers to remain anonymous, spoke to Henry Howard-Sneyd about his fascination with Qing ceramics.
The Secret of Colours: Ceramics in China and Europe from the 18th Century to the Present
The Baur Foundation, Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva holds a remarkable collection of Chinese enamelled porcelain dating from the reigns of the Kangxi (1662–1722), Yongzheng (1723–35) and Qianlong (1736–95) emperors. This collection will be the subject of an exhibition opening September 14, 2022, examining how the palette of coloured enamels developed as a result of interactions between China and the West. Technological exchange in the field of enamels has recently given rise to an extensive literature dwelling as much on the historical as on the physical and chemical aspects of this art form (Bellemare, 2021; Colomban et al., 2022; Shih, 2012).