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.
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 Illustrated with hundreds of color plates showing many previously unpublished pieces.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
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.
Catalog of an exhibition jointly presented by the Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum which gives an overview of ceramic production in Jingdezhen in the last century.
This book created quite a stir in the west and in all circles that had held the opinion that no porcelain of any merit had been made since the mid 10th century. This exhibition proved that there were lot to be found also from later periods and in excellent taste and workmanship. There are several books published now from this period, but this one still stands out as one of the most important.
The catalog illustrates and details 186 items of porcelain plaques, wares and sculptures decorated in famille rose enamels, wucai enamels, monochromes and under glaze blue. The rich contents include imperial wares for the last Qing Emperor Xuantong and also the short-lived Hongxian regime, painted porcelain by accomplished ceramic artists including the celebrated group of the “Eight Friends of Zhushan”, sculptures and painted plaques of the Cultural Revolution period (1960s and 70s), a variety of antique-type wares and porcelain painted with new techniques.
The majority of the pieces are selected from the collection of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum – this is augmented by items from private and public collections in Hong Kong. Most pieces are here published for the first time. The catalog contains full color plates of all items with detailed descriptions and an introductory essay by Cao Ganyuan, Academic Director of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum. Dual text in English and Chinese.
Hong Kong, 2004. 255 pp. Over 150 colour plates.
Text in English and Chinese.
Format 30×24 cm. Cloth.
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.
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
Continue reading ‘Brush and Clay. Chinese Porcelain of the Early 20th Century by Simon Kwan’
Recent Comments