The City of Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain and the Early Modern World

by Anne Gerritsen

We think of blue and white porcelain as the ultimate global commodity: throughout East and Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean including the African coasts, the Americas and Europe, consumers desired Chinese porcelains. Many of these were made in the kilns in and surrounding Jingdezhen. Found in almost every part of the world, Jingdezhen's porcelains had a far-reaching impact on global consumption, which in turn shaped the local manufacturing processes. The imperial kilns of Jingdezhen produced ceramics for the court, while nearby private kilns manufactured for the global market. In this beautifully illustrated study, Anne Gerritsen asks how this kiln complex could manufacture such quality, quantity and variety. She explores how objects tell the story of the past, connecting texts with objects, objects with natural resources, and skilled hands with the shapes and designs they produced. Through the manufacture and consumption of Jingdezhen's porcelains, she argues, China participated in the early modern world.

Genres: History, China, Art History

354 pages, Hardcover

Published April 30, 2020

Reviews

[Mirthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and well written. A lot of information is given on the reason why Jingdezhen became a mayor production site of porcelain wares. As well as why other cities didn't.
If you want more in depth knowledge about the cities that produce Chinese porcelain and the factors that influenced them this is a must read.

[Kate]

5books.com recommendation by Maxine berg