The influence of Chinese porcelain on European porcelain
Article source: Chinese Museum
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During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the development of my country's porcelain entered a new stage. The Jingdezhen kiln in Jiangxi Province suddenly emerged. Based on the Yuan Dynasty, relying on its superior natural conditions and a group of highly skilled porcelain craftsmen, it suddenly became the porcelain making center in the country. "Craftsmen come from all over the world, and their craftsmanship spreads all over the world" is a true portrayal of Jingdezhen's grand occasion at that time. The variety of porcelain is extremely rich, the porcelain making technology is becoming more and more mature, the porcelain making technology is improving day by day, and the level of porcelain making technology has reached a historical peak. Porcelain is not only used by people from all walks of life in the country, but also traveled across the oceans and was sold to many countries and regions in Asia, Africa, Europe, etc. Among them, blue and white porcelain and multicolored porcelain are exported in large quantities.
1. Chinese porcelain is sold to various European countries
According to statistics from relevant foreign archives: From the establishment of the Dutch East India Company to the thirty-fourth year of Kangxi (1602-1695), trafficking There are 20 million pieces of Chinese porcelain shipped to Europe, mainly including blue and white, five-color and Guangcai porcelain from the Ming and Qing Dynasties; another statistics shows that from the 32nd year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty to the 13th year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1604-1656) Three million pieces of porcelain are shipped to the Netherlands, with an average of about 60,000 pieces per year. In the twelfth year of Yongzheng's reign (1734), 400,000 pieces of porcelain were sold to the Netherlands in one year. The British East India Company and the French East India Company also purchased porcelain from China respectively; in the 12th year of Yongzheng's reign (1734), 68,000 pieces of porcelain were shipped and sold, and in the 39th year of Qianlong's reign (1774), about 400,000 pieces of porcelain were shipped to Britain. By forty-six years (1750-1781), 1.1 million pieces of porcelain were shipped to Sweden.
From the perspective of archaeological surveys, the work of salvaging shipwrecks in the sea between Europe and the Far East in the 16th and 17th centuries has been quite fruitful. Among the sunken ships that have been salvaged so far is the Dutch East India Company merchant ship Geldermals. The ship sank in 1752 (the seventeenth year of Qianlong's reign), and 90% of the cargo on board was blue and white porcelain. The Portuguese merchant ships The san Jago and The Santa Catharina, with blue and white porcelain from the Wanli period on board, were sunk in 1613 (the 41st year of Wanli). The Witte Leeuw, mostly with blue and white porcelain from the Wanli period, was sunk in 1615 (the 43rd year of Wanli). Banda number is also a blue and white porcelain from the Wanli period. In 1602 and 1603 (the 30th and 31st year of Wanli), the blue and white porcelains salvaged from Portuguese ships were also blue and white porcelain from the Wanli period. The Spanish shipwrecks Sao Concalo and Concepcion sank in 1630 and 1640 respectively. There were blue and white porcelain for export in the late Ming Dynasty on board.
From the large number of Chinese Ming and Qing dynasty porcelains in museums and private collections in various European countries, we can see the large amount of porcelain exported at that time.
Judging from the above information, the porcelain sold to Europe includes blue and white, five-color and Guangcai varieties, with blue and white porcelain being the most common. Blue and white porcelain from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty is commonly seen, and Europeans call it "Clark porcelain". There are types of blue and white vases, goblets, jars, military holders, boxes, jugs, milk cups, soup basins, beard trays, etc. from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The shape and decoration of some utensils are traditional Chinese style, while some shapes, such as milk cups, beard trays, soup basins, etc., are shapes favored by Europeans. The tulip patterns and Western character crests that appear in parts of the decoration were obviously ordered for Europe.
2. Europe’s love for Chinese porcelain
After Chinese porcelain was introduced to Europe, it was immediately loved by royal families, nobles and people from all walks of life in various countries. At that time, there was a trend of looking for gold ship porcelain, and its performance was as follows:
1. Buy and collect Chinese porcelain as a symbol of wealth.
Although Chinese porcelain was very expensive at the time, it was still snapped up by the royal family and nobles. Chinese porcelain was displayed in their palaces, mansions, and showrooms to show the elegance of their status and to show off as royal property. According to relevant records: The Spanish Royal Palace collected more than 3,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain at that time; Chinese porcelain was an extremely important item in the Portuguese Queen's property list.
King Louis XIV of France was a culture and art enthusiast and collector. The Palace of Versailles was established in 1670, and later the Palais de Toriano was built inside the palace. The palace is famous for its display of Chinese blue and white porcelain collected by Louis XIV. The palace also borrowed the techniques of "Nanjing Porcelain Tower" in its architecture and was covered with colorful glazed ceramic tiles. It is also called "Toriano Porcelain Palace". Not only the royal family, nobles, and people from other walks of life are also keen to collect Chinese porcelain. In 1653, Mrs. Jimmelenpolo, the wealthy widow of a Dutch silverware artist, became famous in the Netherlands for her collection of fine Chinese porcelain. To this day, we can still see a considerable amount of Chinese export porcelain in museums and private collections in various European countries.
2． Use Chinese porcelain as valuable gifts
For example, the bracelets of the Queen and Princess of Portugal are all made of Chinese porcelain. The gift given by the King of Portugal to the King of Italy was four Chinese gold-painted porcelain "prawns". The queen ordered tableware with her own portrait burned in China and presented it to meritorious soldiers.
3. To prevent damage to your precious porcelain, install metal ornaments on it.
On the Chinese porcelain handed down in Europe, we can see that the mouth, feet, flow, handle and other parts of many porcelain are inlaid with metal ornaments or additional covers and other decorations. This was a measure taken out of fear of damaging the porcelain. Ornaments are a popular and favorite style in Europe. They not only protect the porcelain, but also enhance the decorative nature of the utensils, making the porcelain appear more magnificent.
4. Chinese blue and white porcelain often appears in European, especially Dutch paintings.
We can often see Chinese blue and white porcelain in European, especially Dutch genre paintings around the 17th century, especially the blue and white porcelain called "Clark" in Europe from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. As can be seen from the paintings, there are fruit plates, kettles, cups and bottles, etc. Some are used for practical purposes, such as placing fruits on the plates; some are used as displays, such as placing them on tables and cases for viewing.
3. The production status of European porcelain and the influence of Chinese porcelain on Europe
From the 15th to the 17th century, Europe was still in the stage of producing pottery and soft porcelain. For example, Britain produced red pottery in the 17th century and imitated Chinese porcelain; Spain established the Chinese Royal Porcelain Factory in 1760; the Netherlands produced pottery in the 16th century and imitated Chinese blue and white porcelain; France developed pottery production in the 17th century and produced it in the 18th century (1768) The first hard porcelain imitated Germany; Germany produced soft porcelain in the 16th century, low temperature, mixed clay mixed with glass, similar to translucent. Austria was the second country in Europe to produce hard porcelain in the 18th century; Italy produced soft porcelain in the 16th century and imitated Chinese porcelain, and began to produce hard porcelain in 1719. Sweden and Denmark established porcelain factories and royal porcelain factories respectively in the 18th century. In short, in the 18th century, various countries established royal porcelain factories one after another to strengthen the exploration and research of Chinese porcelain. So in Germany, hard porcelain that imitated Chinese porcelain was first fired, and then Austria and other countries successively fired hard porcelain, ending the history of soft porcelain in Europe.
1． The influence of Chinese porcelain on the Netherlands
In Europe, the Netherlands is famous for its production of enamel and glass. In 1584 (the 12th year of Wanli), Dutch pottery masters purchased white glaze and blue and white raw materials directly from my country through the East India Company, and finally succeeded in imitating Chinese blue and white porcelain. In the 17th century, the Delft Kiln near The Hague specialized in imitating Chinese blue and white porcelain, firing white-glazed blue-colored pottery, and producing pottery with Chinese patterns that Europeans loved, which was sold to various European countries. In Europe, this kind of white-glazed blue-colored pottery was called Delfit, and it is still used today. Its merit lies in the organic combination of Chinese blue and white with European pottery and enamel craftsmanship, creating a unique style and giving European art-loving people new artistic appreciation and enjoyment.
2． The influence of Chinese porcelain on France
French pottery production began in the 14th century. By the 17th century, pottery production in Naville, central France, was influenced by the large quantities of Chinese porcelain shipped by merchant ships from the Netherlands, Britain and other countries, and began to imitate Chinese porcelain. In the 17th century, a pottery factory was established in Saint-Code at the Palace of Versailles near Paris, and was ordered by King Louis XIV to produce large and small flower pots and imitation Chinese blue and white porcelain for use in the Palace of Versailles.
In the 18th century, the Versini factory was established. In 1753, the factory moved to Severes, where it continued to mix vitreous powder into clay to produce soft porcelain. In 1768, with the assistance of German craftsmen, the first hard porcelain imitating Germany was produced. In 1759, Louis XIV purchased a pottery factory to create the Royal Pottery Factory, which was famous for its production of colorful glazes.
3. The influence of Chinese porcelain on Britain
In the 16th century, Lambeth in London, England produced low-temperature tin-glazed pottery, which was also influenced by Chinese blue and white porcelain. In the 18th century, the famous "Bow" porcelain factory in London imported porcelain clay from the United States to manufacture hard porcelain and produce sculptures and imitation blue and white bowls and bottles. The patterns depicting pavilions, bridges, flowing water, willow trees, and chrysanthemums were all the rage. Due to the popularity of Chinese porcelain in Britain, people's demand for porcelain doubled. In addition to the "Bow" Porcelain Factory, the Chelsea Porcelain Factory was established in 1730. It used raw materials imported from the United States to produce sculptures, toys, vases, tableware, etc.
In 1751, 15 craftsmen formed the "Wolthistle" porcelain factory to produce tea sets and other porcelain decorated with Chinese landscape patterns.
4. The influence of Chinese porcelain on Germany
Germany was influenced by Chinese porcelain. In 1709, Botteger was the first to fire porcelain in Europe. After that, the famous Meissen porcelain factory opened, and its products were continuously supplied to the European market. Porcelain from the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty in China was the basis for the Meissen factory to imitate. First, it imitated China's blue and white porcelain, and successfully trial-produced underglaze blue porcelain in 1725, followed by gold-painted and colored porcelain. The factory has a group of painters who are familiar with Chinese painting art and have high skills. Since the 17th century, there has been a craze for Chinese art and patterns in Europe, and the Meissen factory has also been affected.
5. The influence of Chinese porcelain on Austria
Austria was the second country to produce real hard porcelain after Germany in the early 18th century. The Royal Porcelain Factory was established in Vienna. The fired porcelain is decorated with oriental patterns like the Meissen factory porcelain.
6. The influence of Chinese porcelain on Italy
Italy began to produce pottery in the 15th century. In the 16th century, with the help of the Duke of Medici, a porcelain factory was created in Boboli Park in Florence to produce software imitating Chinese patterns. Quality porcelain, called "Medici porcelain". In the 17th century, there were pottery factories in Venice producing green-gray glazed pottery. In the 18th century, porcelain factories began to produce hard porcelain. The styles and patterns imitated Vienna and Meissen porcelain, and had a Chinese artistic style. The Copperdimont factory and Dosiami, which were heavily sponsored by King Charles III, also imitated Chinese porcelain.
Porcelain is the oldest craft in China, but now European porcelain has become the mainstream of the world's top products, many of which are luxury brands as famous as LV and CHANEL...
Yazhi Porcelain Dolls
Yazhi Porcelain is the third largest luxury brand in Spain. It was founded in 1953 by the three Yazhi brothers. The elegant works are known for their detailed depictions, among which they are world-famous for their realistic craftsmanship of "lace", "parasols" and "flowers". The elegant porcelain dolls all exude a calm and elegant temperament, with a touch of sadness.
Spain’s González Martí Valencia National Ceramics Museum, Russia’s St. Petersburg Heritage Museum, Spain’s Barcelona Highland Museum, etc. all use it as a collection, and its most famous fan is none other than the muscular hunk Stallone. And Latin beauty Jennifer Lopez. The cheapest products of Yazhi cost more than 500 yuan, and some even cost over one million yuan.
Bone china was originally called bone china. People felt that the word "ash" was not "elegant", so it was renamed bone china. The so-called bone china is porcelain clay mixed with bone powder and quartz. It is light in texture and milky white. When the porcelain is placed under the light, it can be faintly translucent. Invented by the British in 1794. In the production process of bone china, animal bone meal (ash) is added. The bone meal is made from cattle, sheep, pig bones, etc., with cattle bones being the best. Generally speaking, porcelain containing 25% bone powder in raw materials can be called bone china, but the bone china recognized as the best in the world generally contains 51% high-quality beef bone powder.
This ingredient can increase the hardness and transmittance of porcelain, and its strength is higher than that of ordinary porcelain, so it can be made thinner than ordinary porcelain. The greater the bone content, the easier it is to crack during the production process, so the finished product will be more expensive. It is said that the British royal family and No. 10 Downing Street use domestically produced bone china. The middle and upper class people in the United States often use bone china cups when drinking tea.
The texture of finished bone china is light, fine and hard (twice that of daily porcelain), not easy to wear and crack, has moderate light transmittance and heat preservation, and the color is natural milky white unique to natural bone powder. . Among them, the bone powder composition is more than 40, and the color of the utensils is more milky white and belongs to high-grade bone china (finebonechina). Someone did such an experiment and placed four bone china cups under the wheels of a Rolls-Royce. These four crystal-clear cups were able to support the weight of the RV!
The production process of bone china
The main component of bone china is high-value natural bone powder. The production method is to add more than 30% herbivore bone powder (component is tricalcium phosphate) into the porcelain clay. During the high-temperature firing process, the addition of bone powder eliminates impurities in the porcelain clay, making the product whiter and more translucent, with few defects. Bone china tableware has a special visual sense of cleanliness; the higher the content of bone powder, the lower the composition of clay, which requires higher technology in shaping and increases the difficulty of firing, so it is more precious. The finished bone china is light, fine and hard (twice as much as daily porcelain), not easy to wear and crack, has moderate light transmittance and heat preservation, and has a milky white color unique to natural bone powder. Among them, the color of utensils with a bone powder content of 40 or more becomes milky white and belongs to high-end bone china (fine bone china). For example, the bone powder of Japan's Narumi bone china is as high as 47, and its color is between milky white and creamy yellow. Bone china manufacturers are mainly from Europe and Japan; only a few manufacturers in Tangshan, Zibo and other places in my country produce and export. Japanese shapes and patterns are more conservative, emphasizing elegance; some famous European porcelain factories emphasize design, and their patterns use a wide range of materials, ranging from personal creations to folklore and mythology.
The purchase and maintenance of bone china
Compared with the dishes we usually use, the price of famous brand bone china products is much higher. A porcelain bowl costs about 260 yuan, and a porcelain bowl costs about 260 yuan. A small place plate that matches the bowl costs about 300 yuan. A complete set of tableware for six people usually includes: one 9-inch flat plate for cold dishes; four 7-inch flat plates for cold dishes; four 7-inch soups Plate for hot dishes; a large soup basin, two fish plates, six rice bowls, etc. A complete set costs about 5,000 yuan or more. Of course, you can buy them separately when purchasing and choose the dishes, cups, and plates you need instead of buying them in sets. And white or elegantly patterned tableware sets are family favorites.
Carefully selected
Light weight, strong light transmittance and soft color are the top quality. When selected, the color will turn yellow under the light, and there will be a crisp sound when knocked.
Maintenance
Be sure to wash it by hand, do not use a dishwasher. If you really don't want to wash by hand, you should choose a dishwasher with a "porcelain and crystal" washing function.
Do not heat it in the microwave, otherwise it will corrode the gold edge.
The pH value of the lotion must be between 11-11.5.
When washing with clean water, the water temperature should not exceed 80℃.
Do not immerse the hot cup directly in cold water to avoid rapid changes in temperature and damage to the porcelain.
If there are scratches, you can use toothpaste to polish them slightly.
If there are tea stains, you can use lemon juice or vinegar to clean them.
Many people know that the English word "china" has two meanings, one is China, and the other means porcelain. Unfortunately, today’s top porcelain is entirely dominated by Western brands. Looking into the reason, a friend in the UK once joked that because Westerners are not as sophisticated about food processing as the Chinese, they have to devote themselves to developing exquisite tableware to compensate for the monotonous taste. Unlike us Chinese, the meal on the plate is already artistic enough, but we don't care about the exquisite design of the bowl. There seems to be some truth to this joke.
However, if we take a closer look at the differences in food culture, Western-style meals are usually served on different plates, and the plates are replaced after each type of food is used up. Therefore, Western-style dinner plates are more complicated than Chinese ones in terms of quantity and size. . In addition, Westerners have always paid attention to the interest in life. For furniture and daily necessities in the home living environment, in addition to their practicality, they also pay attention to their shapes and patterns.
Before the British Industrial Revolution in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, porcelain had always been a Chinese patent. However, after the industrial revolution, modern Europe, stimulated by Chinese ceramics, quickly mastered porcelain-making technology by relying on advanced science. They not only imitated China's blue and white porcelain, colored porcelain, and Dehua porcelain, but also developed many high-quality porcelain varieties, including bone china, which is unanimously recognized as one of the best porcelain varieties today.
The world's most famous porcelain producing countries are Britain, France, the United States, Japan, Germany, and Italy. If we divide them by material, the porcelain of Britain, the United States, and Japan is famous for its bone china.
The so-called bone china is porcelain clay mixed with bone powder and quartz. It is light in texture and milky white. When the porcelain is placed under the light, it can be faintly translucent. During the production process of bone china, animal bone meal (ash) is added. Nowadays, cow bone meal is used. This ingredient can increase the hardness and transmittance of the porcelain, and its strength is higher than that of ordinary porcelain, so it can be made thinner than ordinary porcelain. The greater the bone content, the easier it is to crack during the production process, so the finished product will be more expensive.
Bone magnets are the most famous in the UK, and the top ten famous bone magnets in the world are all in the UK. Many brands have a history of hundreds of years, and the painted patterns and tones of these porcelain plates tend to be more traditional. In the porcelain industry, they are already collections with rich artistic value.
France is a romantic country, and this humanistic style is reflected in the paintings on porcelain plates, which show rich and varied colors and patterns. Although German porcelain does not have a long history like that of Britain and France, it is equally praised for its modern, personalized shapes and bright and bold colors.
Japan has only developed bone magnets in the past 20 years, and has produced many famous products. Most of the mid- to low-priced bone magnets are made in Japan. In terms of design, Japanese shapes and patterns are more conservative and emphasize elegance.
The patterns of some famous European porcelain factories draw from a wide range of materials, ranging from personal creations to folklore and mythology.
France, Germany, Italy and other places feature pure porcelain with pure white color and higher price than bone china.
Porcelain plates have different levels and prices. Usually its pricing depends on the clay texture, manufacturing technique and painted design. Although the price of a high-grade porcelain plate is daunting, if you carefully appreciate its texture and painting, you will understand that high-priced porcelain is indeed worth the money.
At present, the world's famous porcelain manufacturers include Wych-Wood and Dalton in the UK, Rosenthal in Germany, and Narumi in Japan. It is said that the British royal family and No. 10 Downing Street use domestically produced porcelain. The middle and upper class people in the United States often use bone china cups when drinking tea.
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