THE GREAT FORTUNE
/ Das Grosse Gluck

By: Georg Weishaupt

Qianjiang / 20th century

THE GREAT FORTUNE. Das Grosse Gluck, by Georg Weishaupt
The title continues: ‘Chinese and Japanese Porcelain of the 19th and 20th Centuries and Their Forerunners’. Monograph on the 19th and 20th century Chinese and Japanese porcelain collection of the Berlin antiques dealer and connoisseur Georg Weishaupt.
Illustrated throughout in color including bases and seals.
Stuttgart 2003.
405 pp. 440 colour plates.
Size 30×21 cm.
Text in English and German.


April 16th, 2010

Wanqing Minguo Qianjiang Caici
(Late Qing and Early Republic Qianjiang Painting on porcelain)

By: Zi Wuyuan

Qianjiang / 20th century

This small book offers splendid value for money to those looking for some illustration of late Qing dynasty literati paintings (Qianjiang) on porcelain.

The book shows what was done during the late Qing Dynasty where high artistic standard was developed within a group of Qianjiang color artists, painting on porcelain.

The small booklet is extremely well illustrated in color despite its small size. Around 100 items are shown, often from several perspectives; regularly front and back. 64 artist porcelain painters are presented, the book includes a “China Qianjiang colour artist list” for easy reference.

Hangzhou: Zhejiang University Press, 2006
21×14 cm, Paperback.
102 pages, more that 200 Colour illustrations
Marks, seals and inscriptions are illustrated and occasionally prices of the items are given.
The text is entirely in Chinese.
In the captions any date in the inscriptions are given in Arabic numerals.

April 17th, 2008

QIANJIANG CAICI HUA
(Qianjiang Painted Porcelains)

By: Chen Jianxin et al.

Qianjiang / 20th century

QIANJIANG CAICI HUA (Qianjiang Painted Porcelains) Geren Licai Shoucang Jianshang Xilie, by Chen Jianxin et al.

For Qianjiang pieces this book is one of the better published so far. It illustrates many pieces from more accomplished Qianjiang artists. It’s a useful and well-illustrated addition to the literature on the subject of Qianjiang painted porcelains from the late Qing and Republic periods. Illustrated throughout in color. Text in Chinese.

Shijiazhuang 2003.
58 pages introduction in Chinese, 193 pp. colour plates.
B/w text illustrations and drawings.
30×21 cm.


April 16th, 2008

Minguo Ciqi Jianding
Part I + II
By: Tie Yuan and Xi Ming

Qianjiang / 20th century

Part I – Republican Period Ceramics: Paste, Glazes, Painting and Shapes

This is one book is a set of two, both written by Tie Yuan and Xi Ming detailing Republican period ceramics. This volume start with a discourse on the production of ceramics complemented by early black-and-white photographs. Follows with an examination of glazes, painting on Republican ceramics and an in-depth presentation of the many new and prevalent shapes from this period. Illustrated with hundreds of color plates showing many previously unpublished pieces.

Part II – Republican Period Ceramics: Designs, Seals and Forgeries

Second book in this set by the same authors continues the in-depth discourse on Republican period ceramics. Many inscriptions on porcelain are shown that include artists’ seals plus hall and studio marks. Finishes with a section on the problem of forgeries of Republican period ceramics and Republican period imitations of earlier works.

Both books are recommended on behalf of the illustrations although the text remains a closed door to non-Chinese readers. Dates are occasionally given in western numerals in the captions.

Beijing, 2004.
302 resp. 310 pages.
Colour plates throughout.
Book I – Two foldout color illustrations on porcelain figures.
B/w illustrations.
Size 29×22 cm.
Hardbound. Text in Chinese

April 16th, 2008

Brush and Clay.
Chinese Porcelain of the Early 20th Century
By: Simon Kwan

Qianjiang / 20th century


This is an exhibition catalog featuring 165 items from the Simon Kwan collection – ceramic plaques with landscape painting, birds and flower scenes, figurative painting. Vases and bowls with varied decoration.

A pioneering work on Chinese Porcelain from the early 20th century, with biographies and works of all major porcelain artists of the period. Included many items completed by the most influential group known as the Eight Friends of Zhushan.

This is the unquestionable best and most wanted book so far written on qianjiang porcelain. The most outstanding feature of porcelain decoration of this period was the predominance of painting with enamels in a style directly inspired by painting on paper. It was also one of the only times in the history of Chinese ceramics when the artists signed their work.

469 Pages,
165 colour plates, many text-illustrations, some in colour.
Hong Kong Museum of Art
Urban Council, Hong Kong, 1990.
ISBN. 962 215 098 5

Ceramics in Scholarly Taste

By: Maura Rinaldi

Chinese Porcelain (in general) // Qianjiang / 20th century

Best book on small items for the Scholarl’s Table, centered around late Qing

This book is a catalog from a Southeast Asian Ceramic Society exhibition in Singapore 1993. It is a very interesting review from a Chinese Scholars point of view about small items made for his desk. They are very nice and sophisticated and from a western point of view hard to understand and to identify properly. There are seal past boxes, brush rests, brush pots, water droppers, wrists rest, ink slabs and brush washers etc.

If you have an interest in these small and sophisticated Chinese porcelain collector’s items, this book is for you. The book is fun and focused. I find it very interesting myself and to read it through is well spent time in pleasant company with the well known and accomplished scholar Maura Rinaldi as your guide. She is as you might recognize also the author of the standard reference work “Kraak Porcelain”, also mentioned on this list.

The items span from the Song dynasty up until the Early Republic period.

JE

Paperback: 151 pages
Publisher: Southeast Asian Ceramic Society (October 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9810043953
ISBN-13: 978-9810043957
Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

April 2nd, 2008