Noble blue: the enduring appeal of blue ground Chinese porcelain

Abstract

"We began collecting examples of blue ground Chinese porcelain in 2011 in order to make up a group large enough for a research project and the exhibition and catalogue we are now presenting at our galleries in London and Lisbon. In total we will be exhibiting over 100 individual examples of blue ground porcelain, of which 94 are discussed in the 61 entries of this catalogue. This exhibition focuses on pieces ranging from the 17th to the 19th century, produced in the Chinese city of Jingdezhen. Their uniqueness in terms of decoration is what made this porcelain so widely admired across the world, collected by royalty and nobility, including the courts of the Chinese Imperial family, of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire and of European royal families. Some of these collections have become references for blue ground porcelain, and to this day examples can still be found in collections at the Forbidden City Imperial Palace in Beijing, in the Topkapi Saray Museum in Istanbul, assembled by the Turkish sultans, in the Porzellansammlung in Dresden, assembled by Augustus the Strong, and in several of the Portuguese royal palaces, where collections gathered by the Portuguese royal family are housed. Blue ground porcelain was produced in much smaller numbers than most other types of Chinese porcelain. It can be found in a wide range of shapes and shades of blue, from large 'soldier' vases, fishbowls and other decorative pieces, to seemingly utilitarian examples such as teapots, ewers, plates, dishes, punch bowls and even dinner services. What unites them and turns them into objects of enduring appeal is a very particular and sophisticated look that is both understated in its apparent monochrome-like decoration, especially when observed from afar, whilst also exuding opulence, luxury and richness of decoration with its overglaze gilt contrasting with the deep blue ground, in some instances further enhanced by underglaze blue or polychrome decorated reserves, resulting in stunning pieces with a tremendous visual impact. A striking characteristic of blue ground porcelain when decorated in gilt over the glaze, particularly in the cases of 'monochrome' examples, is the remarkable visual impact achieved in instances where the gilt decoration remains intact. But no less impressive, and in what is more often the case a result of the gold being fired over the glaze at a low temperature, making it more prone to wear, are the porcelains where only subtle, incomplete and faded sections of the gilt decoration remain, unequivocally recording the passage of time, the worn gold shown in an almost abstract, poetic fashion. This catalogue, with two introductory articles by Ronald W. Fuchs II [...] and by Bruno Alexandre Morais [...] discusses the theme at large, whilst also clarifying the terminology and production techniques of the various expressions of blue ground porcelain, such as 'powder blue', 'blue glazed' and 'underglaze blue' porcelain."-- Foreword by the editors (pages 8-9).