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Top 100 "best books" on Chinese Porcelain
I often get the question "which books on Chinese porcelain should I buy". To deal with this question once and for all I decided to try to make a top hundred list on the best books there are. Of course this is not possible. There are litterally thousands of good books out there, all valuable in their own way. Still to try to help at least some in this question on what books to buy, I made this list and asked my son to add "pay links" to Amazon.com. To give him some pocket money for doing the programming you should actually go about and buy something from them.
Regarding the pictures used here, that is as how the ones in my own book shelf looks. The present editions currently for sale out there might look different. So, welcome to browse through my own shortlist of books here. They are sorted in the order in which I would have bought them back, if I hadn't already got them.
Must Have Books on Chinese Porcelain
Chinese Ceramics, A New Comprehensive Survey from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco by, He Li, New York, 1996. General reference book on every area of Chinese Ceramics. Twin brick size and a "must have" if you are planning to spend more than $1,000 on Chinese porcelain. CLASSIC - best over all right now
Chinese Ceramics at Amazon.com
Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, by S. J. Vainker. Covers ceramics from the Neolithic period to the present. This is a good "summary" and draws on pieces from the British Museum. The illustrations are good and the text consise and on the dot. There is something as too much, when in come to information and this is "enough" in most cases. It is a good buy if you are looking into just one bok. I like it because I can trust the information, and the selection of pieces is a good one. The view point is more humanistic then Valenstein, below.
Chinese Pottery and Porcelain at Amazon.com
A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, by Suzanne G. Valenstein. Covers ceramics from the Neolithic period to the present. This is a good "summary" and draws on pieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The illustrations are good and the text consise and on the dot. There is something as too much, when in come to information and this is "enough" in most cases. It is a good buy if you are looking into just one bok. I like it because I can trust the information, and the selection of pieces is a good one. Does this sound like you have heard it before? Well, they are very similar but there are much more pictures in this then in Vainiker. The outlook is mostly technical.
A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics at Amazon.com
Underglaze Blue and Red, Elegant decoration of Porcelain from Yuan, Ming and Qing by Wang Qingzheng. Important book on Imperial and good quality folk porcelain. Important since it is written by a Chinese scholar and it is as important as rare that we in the West get to know, first hand, the point of views found among many Chinese scholars, without the information being filtered through the traditional opinions of western scholars. We have our bases that needs to be touched every time we go about writing about something. It might be a refreshing relief if we don't, just for once, as in this book. Important information culled from Chinese sources regarding marks and period charateristics explained from their historical context.Search for Underglaze Blue and Red at Amazon.com
The Chinese Potter, by Margaret Medley, London, 1976. The publisher tells "Most studies of Chinese art deal with types, period or styles, but this historical examination of Chinese ceramics, which uses recent research, explains how the evolution of pottery depended upon the technological developments of the Chinese culture. The book's practical approach makes full use of archaeological reports to show how differing geographical areas, materials and developing technology all shaped the evolution of Chinese ceramics." Now, this is today a somewhat outdated book but the author is a good writer and with her excellent grasp of the subject, this book will not be too old to read for a very long time to come.
Chinese Potter at Amazon.com
Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, by Duncan Macintosh. London, 1994. In this volume the author walks you through the history of blue and white porcelain while explaining the historical setting which to me is very important for to understand why the porcelain ended up as it did. If you want more then "expensive porcelain" and want to understand the porcelain on a deeper level this is an important book. At first most blue and white porcelain looks, well, just blue and white. This book helps you see the significat differences between porcelain from the different dynasties.
Chinese Blue and White Porcelain at Amazon.com
Must Have Books on Ceramic Wares definitions and Glazes
Chinese Glazes. Nigel Wood, London, 1999. This is an important book. If you are aiming at a "collection" of Chinese porcelain and really want to know this subject, this is definitely a must together with the He Li book above. If you are planning to buy 10 books on Chinese porcelain, this should be one of them. CLASSIC - absolutely necessary for understanding glazes
Must Have Books on Yuan and early Ming Porcelain
Early Ming Wares of Chingtechen, by A. D. Brankstone. The most charming book that is likely ever be published on the subject of early Chinese porcelain. This book is a collector's item in itself and I highly recommend it for the understanding of early Ming. It is THE book, ok!? Just get it and you will understand. CLASSIC - on understanding early Ming
Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, by Regina Krahl, et al., London, 1986. This is not really a book. This is a career. It is a heavy set of three books really and they are very expensive. Still they are a "must have" if you really want to understand early Ming blue and white. It is maybe not the first thing one should go for because the porcelain illustrated is so expensive it is highly unlikely anybody will need to bother recognizing these pieces if we should be crass, but still. It's a good and important book. CLASSIC
Yuan and Ming Blue and white wares from Jiangxi, by Yau, Hok Wa. This is a catalogue produced in conjunction with an exhibition jointly organized by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum and Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. It consists of 128 items of Yuan and Ming (14th to mid 17th centuries) provincial blue and white wares. Half of the exhibits, primarily specimens with datable contexts, come from Jiangxi Provincial Museum and the cultural institutions in Jiangxi. The rest, mostly products for local and overseas markets, are selected from the Art Museum collection and loans from private and public collections in Hong Kong and the Philippines. All exhibits are illustrated with colour plates and detailed entries in both Chinese and English. It contains also two scholarly essays, "Yuan and Ming Provincial Blue and White Ware from Jingdezhen" by Peng Minghan and Yin Qinglan and "Chinese Blue and White ware of the 14th to 15th Centuries: A Philippine Perspective" by Rita C. Tan, and an appendix of "A Selection of Dated Ming Blue and Whites". The book provides indispensable reference materials for studies on the Yuan and Ming blue and white wares from Jiangxi. 8.5 x 11.8", 238 pp., 151 color plates, text in Chinese and English, hardcover, Hong Kong, 2002. Probably the best book on so called "provincial Ming" available in English.
Must Have Books on Ming Porcelain, general
Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, by Jessica Harrison-Hall, London, 2001. The world's broadest collection of Ming Ceramics, here published in its entiety. 640 pages and 1155 pictures of which 1025 in color. Nice.
Oriental Blue & White by Sir Harry Garner, One of several old books on the subject I like, published 1954. The third edition is the best. Garner is very "readable" even if later research has proved him wrong in some details, but that will eventually happen to everybody, and does not detract from the overall understanding of the subject of Chinese porcelain his book bring. CLASSIC
Blue and White - Chinese Porelain around the world, by John Carswell. This book is exceptional in that it focuses mainly on the originin of blue and white and deals with those rare early Ming blue and whites as if they were in some way accessable for us normal people. There are multimilliondollar pieces page up and page down, superbly illistrated and with a modern text that consider the latest findings in the field, exemplifies with excavated pieces and museum pices. A quite interesting book for the foundation of porcelain collection but nt a shopping manual so to speak. Highly interesting. Brilliant pictures. A good book. Yes - to buy, but not on top of the "necessary" list so to speak. The perfect present, I would say.
Must Have Books on late Ming / early Qing Porcelain
Kraak Porcelain. A moment in the history of trade, Maura Rinaldi. This is the classic book on Kraak Porcelain and early dutch market export wares. The time period are limited to the decades before and after 1600 but, this book is important for dating late Ming porcelain in a similar way as Howard gived the keys to the dates of all common 18th century export porcelain. This is not "better" than Brankstone below but while Brankstone explains the soul of early Ming, this is the key reference book on late Ming.
Chinese Ceramics of the Transitional Period: 1620-1683 by Stephen Little. This is a long standing favourite of mine since it came out at a time when transitional wares was very little known and even less recognized as the marvelous wonder they are - most probably the best porcelain ever made in the history of China. Rivaled only by the very best of the early Ming. Inexpensive and with an interesting recapitulation of the last days of the Ming dynasty.
Must Have Books on Qing Imperial ware
Chinese Ceramics, by Rose Kerr, London, 1998. Comparably thin but a very important book. For those with a serious interest in Imperial Chinese porcelain.
Must Have Books on Chinese Export Porcelain and Special Designs
Chinese Armorial Porcelain, by David Howard. This is the well known standard work on Chinese Armorial porcelain for the British market, between 1695 and 1820. Besides this, an excellent tool for anybody who want to be able to date 18th century Chinese export porcelain in general. CLASSIC - on Armorial porcelain for Britain
China for the West, David Howard and John Ayers. This is a set of two books and the definitive must have if you are interested in Chinese export. Maybe you can compromise with Jörg's catalog from 1989, below, but this is a must. All "classical" export patterns from the 18th century are illustrated and described. There might be a few more plates and decorations of importance, but this is basically "it".
Chinese Export Porcelain in North America, by Jean McClure Mudge. This is an "all- round" book that maybe tries to cover "too much" but anyway gives a good understanding of the history of Chinese porcelain in relation to North America. The pieces illustrated are mostly very rare collectors items and not likely to be found at garage sales, really, but on the other hand, if you do - this collecting hobby would suddenly turn very profitably.
Porcelain for Palaces: The Fashion for Japan in Europe 1650-1750 by John Ayers, Oliver Impey, JVG Mallet et al. This is an exhibition catalog written by some of the best scholars in the field and is to be considered the standard work on early Japanese Export porcelain. It is published by the Oriental Ceramic Society in London. The pictures are perfectly wonderful as they should in such an important reference work.
Chinese Export Porcelain, Chine de Commande from the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels. This is really an exhibition catalogue from an exhibition in Hong Kong 1989, but the pieces illustrated are first class export porcelain. The pictures are so good you can really use this book to study both the porcelain body and the glazes. Then the author is C.J.A. Jörg so you can really trust that the pieces are what he says they are, so this is a book I feel really comfortable about.Click here to find this book for sale at Amazon.com
Collecting Chinese Export Porcelain by Elinor Gordon. This is a North American market classic. And since you guys got this kind of pieces all over the place and need to be able to sort it out, this is the book you need.
Must Have Books on Blanc-de-Chine and Fujian Porcelain
Blanc De Chine: The Great Porcelain of Dehua by Robert H. Blumenfield. A quite modern book in English, that might be the best choise for those who just want one book on this ware. I personally don't think that is enough if you collect Blanc-de-chine, but this is a good choise anyway. The author is a leading private collector of Blanc de Chine. The pictures are great and the book contains the history, developement of the ware, early manfacturing and trade as well as details the differences between true Blanc-de-Chine and other, less distinguished white wares. For the Asian art enthusiast, he provides a rich historical account of the evolution of the form, and the character and technical mastery that distinguish its finest pieces.
Blanc de Chine, P. J Donelly. This is the classic book on the white porcelain from the Dehua kilns in Fujian province. This books draws mainly on old well known western collections. Personally I like to combine this classic book with very recent excavation reports.
Dehua Wares The Fung Ping Shan Museum This book was published in 1990 by the University or Hong Kong in cooperation with the mainland Fujian Provincial Museum and is based on the latest archaeological data there is. The book is very up to date, inexpensive, and a good buy even if the number of illustration are comparably few and the dates put to the different pieces are mostly limited to suggest which dynasty. This is probably a "better buy" than Donelly since it is more up to date and more recent, still it is "light years" behind, in over-all scope. Click here to find this book for sale at Amazon.com
Must Have Books on Early Pottery
Pre-Tang Ceramics of China, William Watson. Chinese pottery from 4000 BC to 600 AD. The book divides China into seven ceramic zones and relates these to the developement of different cultures. I don't know of any better book on early Chinese pottery, still this subject is so large and complicated it needs a library of its own.
Tang Ceramics - Changsha Kilns, by Timothy See-Yiu Lam. That this book is an absolute necessity for anybody collecting Changsha is obvious but it goes beyond that. It is written by a collector and one of those gifted persons who have this elusive "understanding" of what he sees. That talent is very rare and worth taking care of in any form it appears. The point being that even if I don't particularly were looking for Changsha pieces, I would benefit greatly from this book because it helps me understand early Chinese pottery, sharpen my eyes and help me understand more about what to look for in genuine pieces in general. Besides, it is a quite interesting book. I know this is a bit short, but go look for it and you will see.
The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology from a very recent exhibition held in San Francisco. University level understanding of what Chinese Art is all about. Twin brick sized exhibition catalogue. Not that many illustrations, but the text is first class. This book might be over the top for most purposes but an excellent summary of the Chinese history of Art.
Must Have Books on Song Dynasty Pottery
Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection by Simon Kwan Now, this is getting serious. This is a catalogue from an exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1994. If there is one book that I would not want to be without when it would come to identifying Song ceramics, the choise would need to stand between this, Jan Virgins "Song Ceramics", or the Mary Tregar "Song Ceramics" below. Now, Mary Tregars book is a bit outdated and since this is by far a larger book, I belive I don't have much of a choise really. The Mary Tregar book belove is maybe more value for the money, so to speak, but if the purpose is, to find the best or the most complete of the books on the subject of Song Ceramics, this is it. Between Jan Virgins "Song Ceramics" and this I believe with both you will have a nice reference to everything that is genuine. If it is not in any of those two books - or three, counting Tregar - it is most probably not Song. Click here to find this book for sale at Amazon.com
Green Wares from Zhejiang by Peng Shifan (ed.), This book is not entirely about Song pottery but it is so good and so important concerning the history of Song ceramics, I want it high up on this list anyway. It is a cataloge from an exhibition jointly presented by the Fung Ping Shan Museum and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum on greenwares from Zhejiang and goes to prove that the name "Celadon" needs to be reconsidered and that "Green wares" are much more then that. Published by Fung Ping Shan Museum, The University of Hong Kong 1993. Interesting, modern and inexpensive.Click here to find this book for sale at Amazon.com
Song Ceramics, by Lu Yaw, Feng Xianming and Mary Tregar. Deals mostly with common Song dynasty export wares. Well illustrated in color and a concise summary of some very informed opinions. Some information is improved upon today but I still don't want to be without this book. Published by Southeast Asian Ceramic Society 1983.
Ancient Chinese Tea Wares Hong Kong Museum of Art This is a catalogue from an exhibition of tea wares jointly presented by the Urban Council, Hong Kong and the National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing. Besides illustrating quite a few small items connected to the drinking of tea it also explains the use of tea utensils and also details the development in the Chinese tradition of tea. From the Jin dynasty and up until the late Qing dynasty.Click here to find this book for sale at Amazon.com
Dated Qingbai Wares of the Song and Yuan Dynasties by Peng Shifan (ed.), one hundred Jingbai pieces excavated in Jiangxi province. If you are interested in Jingbai it doesn't get more interesting then this. Interesting, modern and inexpensive.
Celadon Blues: Recreate Ancient Chinese Celadon Glazes by Robert Tichane. This is a quite interesting author in the field of ancient Chinese pottery and porcelain since he is not an arts historian but a potter. I first noticed him through a book he wrote on a visit he once did to Jingdezhen, just to study Chinese potery. Now that is dedication. This is another book by him I just figured I wanted to mention to the real hardcore Song pottery collectors, because here Robert Tichane sets out to recreate all these famous glazes - and if you skip the recepies of how to actually do that, the book itself really explaines what distinguishes the famous glazes like Celadon, Jun, yue, Temmuko etc. and how a really successful copy could look like. If you happen to be a potter, this is probably even more fun. I however found it this book quite interesting if not of vital importance. It might be more for the trade who needs to really look into the fake problems.
Must Have Books on Minyao "Peoples ware" Porcelain
Chinese Folk Painting on Porcelain, by Bi Keguan. At the Shanghai Museum Shop and probably at many other Museum Shops this book should be available. This is a strange book and in parts the dates is probably wrong, still he has an important point in speaking for the "peoples porcelain" as an art form separated from the imperial wares. Interesting and the porcelain pieces he writes about is usually inexpensive, if you like it. CLASSIC
Must Have Books on Porcelain Marks
The Handbook of Marks of Chinese Ceramics, by Gerald Davison. This is the recognized best western handbook on marks on Chinese Porcelain. The marks are re-drawn in neat calligraphy and the emphasis is on the translations of the marks. In many cases the marks are dated in an appedix, but the dates are not possibly to confirm since the pieces the marks were found on are not at all or rarely, illustrated.
Must Have Books on Japanese Porcelain
"Imari, Satsuma and Other Japanese Export Ceramics", by Nancy N. Schiffer. If possibly, I think you should go for the second edition. All things considered even a hard core Chinese porcelain collector needs at least one book about Japanese porcelain. The reason is simple. A lot of "Asian looking" porcelain is actually Japanese and not Chinese and it is way easier to look for them in a book on Japanese porcelain directly then to try to figure out backwards if something is not Chinese". If you do like Japanese porcelain this book is a must anyway.
Treasury of Satsuma, by Sandra Andacht This is really a price guide and although it is about 20 years old and the prices are off it is still a great book. She has a lot of great information.
Satsuma - Masterpieces from the World's Great Collections by Louis Lawrence This recent and very fine book is the book of choice for most people. Both the strength and the weakness of this book is that it concentrates on top end pieces from 1870 to 1915, from the very good and great Kyoto makers and artists. It has a good marks section too, but only for these artists.
However impossibly the task of listing the 100 best books on Chinese porcelain, this is at least a start. The number of possibly book is close to unlimited and of course this is not the full truth and will never be. Still, I can't help myself from trying. There are so many good books out there and so many good authors I can't resist this opportunity to mention at least 100 of them
Best regards,
Jan-Erik Nilsson
Copyright © Jan-Erik Nilsson, Göteborg 2004.
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