The Wanli Shipwreck : Blue and White Porcelain in Global Trade
The peak of China’s porcelain exports was between the 16th and 19th centuries (Ming-Qing period). Exported porcelains became a global commodity, with two key factors being Portugal’s maritime dominance, the emergence of large sailing ships, and the subsequent establishment of the East India Companies.

Before the Age of Exploration in the late 15th century, trade between China and Europe passed through the Middle East, led by Arab merchants. The quantity of Eastern goods reaching Europe was limited and expensive, primarily catering to the elite class. Chinese porcelains, especially, were highly esteemed and served as diplomatic gifts among royalty and nobility. With European fleets exploring new territories and trade routes, the Age of Exploration began, opening direct trade between China and Europe. Chinese porcelain transformed from exotic treasures to everyday tableware and decorative items in the 17th and 18th centuries, gradually integrating into European lifestyles and fashion trends. Chinese porcelains were adapted and combined to suit Western aesthetics and demands, fostering a continuous flow of creativity and inspiration, becoming a beautiful aspect of cultural exchange.

In terms of China’s maritime policies, the Ming dynasty’s management of the seas fluctuated. While the early Ming period saw Admiral Zheng He’s expeditions to the Western Seas, coastal maritime trade during the early Ming era was considered illegal due to the imposition of maritime restrictions. With the arrival of Western traders, the Portuguese were allowed to reside in Macao in 1557. The maritime restrictions were lifted in the Longqing period in 1567, leading to rapid trade development in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian in Southeast Asia. The Wanli era (1573-1620) was a significant period of active foreign trade, with at least six shipwrecks in Southeast Asia belonging to the Wanli period, including the Wanli Shipwreck in Malaysia and the Binh Thuan Shipwreck in Vietnam. Despite the political turmoil in the late Ming period, private overseas trade flourished, with blue and white porcelains produced in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, and Yuegang in Fujian (near present-day Zhangzhou Longhai City) being exported in large quantities. These are the main porcelains found in Southeast Asian shipwrecks of the 16th and 17th centuries. The early Qing dynasty faced frequent conflicts, and maritime trade entered a decline during the Shunzhi period (1643-1661) due to the implementation of maritime restrictions. It wasn’t until the Kangxi period (1662-1722) that these restrictions were lifted, leading to a continued flourishing of China’s export porcelains.

The emergence of blue and white porcelain was a product of mutual influence between Chinese and Islamic civilisations, reaching its peak during the Yongle and Xuande periods of the Ming dynasty (1403-1435). However, it took over a hundred years to replace the mainstream blue and white porcelain and white porcelain. Based on archaeological data, blue and white porcelain became mainstream during the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty (1522-1566).

For more information, please visit the Guwei Museum website.