Volume 16 Issue 1
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear China Student’s Club members, Our last meeting of “Bits ‘n’ Pieces” included a host of exciting contributions from ten members of the Club. From an early 18th century French tin‐glazed earthenware sugar caster and Kangxi blue and white porcelain plates to a Turkish Iznik‐influenced jug and late 20th century ceramics, it was a wonderful survey of the diverse collecting passions of our organization. At the next meeting Peter Schriber and Lorraine German, stoneware specialists and collectors will explore Early Utilitarian Stoneware of Boston and Charlestown: 17931827 on March 28, 2013. Then in April, we’ll go underground to learn more about the ceramics uncovered during Boston’s Big Dig. We’ll hope to see many of you for both these exciting lectures. As we look to the Annual Meeting on May 23rd when we’ll vote on a new slate for the Board of Directors, I hope you’ll consider whether you’d enjoy serving on the 2013‐2014 China Students’ Club Board. Please feel free to get in touch with me, Nicholas Johnson, Vice President, or Richard Matckie, Nominating Chair to discuss how you can get more involved with the organization.
Yours in pots, Karina Corrigan President
SEASON OPENER BRINGS TALK ON ARCHAEOLOGY IN NEWFOUNDLAND
Kraak charger from the Hatcher Cargo, circa 1643. Objects from specifically dated shipwrecks such as these help date archaeological finds. Reported by Jeffrey Brown The 2012‐13 program season of the China Students’ Club of Boston opened at the College Club in late September with a talk by Aaron F. Miller, Historical Archaeologist and Assistant Curator of the Joseph Allen Skinner Museum. After a nice summer’s break, members started our lecture calendar with a talk entitled, “The Far East in the Northeast: 17th and 18th Century Excavated Chinese Export Porcelain from Ferryland, Newfoundland”. Aaron has been working in historical archaeology for about fifteen years, primarily in New England. Along with this course of study, he was always peripherally interested in Chinese art and porcelain. When he applied to work at the Ferryland site in Newfoundland, there
was evidence of Chinese export porcelain and so these two interests combined and he actually wrote his thesis on what he discovered there. He is very interested in Chinese porcelain and the influence it has played on western ceramics, and vice versa, the influence the west has played on Chinese design and production. He could not emphasize enough the profound influence the China Trade had on all parties concerned, even at the earliest periods of this exchange. As an archaeologist, though, what is really important is the opportunity one has, using Chinese Export shards, to date a specific site. There was such a level of standardization of designs, even at this early period, that one can deduce a fairly tight date from the fragments of Export wares found at a site. Export porcelain appears widely at many sites and Aaron feels it is a neglected area of study as so many patterns of Export can be tied to certain specific periods he thinks it should be used more frequently as a dating tool. Evidence can as well help indicate the economic status of the household or venue being studied as Chinese Export porcelain was quite a luxury trade good at the time. For comparatives, Aaron looked at shards from sites along the Eastern seaboard such as Louisbourg, Strawbery Banke and settlements in Nova Scotia. But his biggest source of comparatives were from shipwrecks which were a snapshot of a very specific moment in time‐if you have a shard that matches a piece from a wreck that went down in 1643, then you’re pretty sure your site can be dated to around that period. Ferryland itself goes back to the 16th century as it was used as one of the earliest landfalls for Europeans pursuing codfish. The site being excavated is called “The Pool”, a protected harbor. In 1621 it was founded and funded by George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore, whose son went on to found the province of Maryland. In 1628‐29, Calvert himself and his family actually made the voyage to the site. In addition to the existing wharf, warehouses and tenements he found there, Calvert had built a manorial complex for his family. He was a man of status back in England and when he arrived in Ferryland his material possessions and creature comforts accompanied him; this included Export porcelain. This represents some of the earliest examples of Chinese Export and pieces from this Calvert period very closely match pieces from the Dutch shipwreck of the Witte Leeuw, or White Lion that sunk in 1613. Examples of the very popular kraakware are also in evidence on the site, and these pieces can be dated not only to shipwrecks of the period, but are also recorded in Dutch still life paintings of the early 17th century. But the Calvert’s residency didn’t last too long; he and his family returned to England and in the 1640s‐50s a man by the name of David Kirk and a number of other investors took control of the colony. Their residency is now reflected in the archaeological record; pieces of Export now evincing patterns and the tastes of the period. One of the most common forms is teabowls and saucers, mirroring the growing popularity of tea drinking‐ even in remote Nova Scotia. The other most popular form was bowls, varying in size from pint size to punch bowls. Two other forms represented in the collection are teapots, understandably, and surprisingly, figural forms in blanc de chine, complete examples of which from shipwrecks of
the period match up perfectly. Oddly enough one of the least represented forms are plates. Why was this? Were they too expensive? Did people prefer wooden or pewter plates? No one knows. Design elements on the decorated wares reflect a refinement of the earlier kraakware patterns and seem to be more indicative of the KangXi wares from about 1690‐1720. After underglaze blue, the second most prevalent design motif and palette is Chinese Imari which can be seen on the full spectrum of ceramic forms. Chinese Imari seems to have been most popular from approximately 1720‐40, thus helping date, again, any site where it is found. One such site, containing many Export shards, primarily beverage serving and drinking forms, has been interpreted as a tavern operating between the 1720s‐1750s. All adding to Aaron’s thesis that Chinese Export porcelain, because of its worldwide appeal and its standardization of patterns and stylistic periods of development, should be looked to more often as a useful tool for dating archaeological sites.
CSC TAKES TO THE FIELD FOR OCTOBER MEETING Reported by Jeffrey Brown The October meeting of the CSC took place on a perfect autumn afternoon as the group left its usual digs at The College Club for a field trip to the shop and gallery of Polly Latham in Boston’s South End. Polly is a noted specialist dealer in Chinese and Japanese Export porcelain and the related arts of the China Trade. Polly was joined by fellow CSC members Sean Blanchet and yours truly as speakers in hosting an informal afternoon entitled “Talkin’ Shop: Exploring the Delights and Deceits of Chinese Export Porcelain at Polly Latham Asian Art”.
Jeffrey Brown discusses an armorial Export platter made for the parents of Catherine the Great of Russia.
Polly started by telling the group how she got started in the business she has managed now for well over thirty years. She was, many years ago, living in London, having followed her husband and his career there, and was casting about for something to do while he was at work and her children were in school. A lifelong interest in Asian art was spurred on by the treasures of Portobello Road. Buying a piece here, talking to dealers there, selling a piece or two upon return visits home, Polly basically learned the trade from pure experience and self‐education; handling the porcelain, talking to dealers and collectors, taking risks and making mistakes…you’d be surprised how fast you learn when you’re risking your own money! Since then, she’s dealt in co‐ops, exhibited at pre‐eminent antique shows, ran a shop for fifteen years on Charles Street, all before moving to her present gallery space in the South End. Sean Blanchet, an independent antiques dealer, has worked with Polly for the past four years managing the gallery’s website, and I have been enjoying the delights and deceits of Export porcelain with Polly for the past eighteen years.
Polly Latham welcomes the Club and Sean Blanchet explains methods of restoration. Polly and I, then, started the presentation, basically using the selection of merchandise as examples and talking points as the display cases are arranged either chronologically or stylistically. The earliest pieces in the collection are from the Wanli period, circa 1600‐1620, of the Ming Dynasty and objects range through the Qing Dynasty ending with the Republic period of the early 20th century. Polly tries to have examples of Export porcelain from all the stylistic periods spanning these four centuries. There is a strong showing of the exemplary blue and white wares of the Kang Xi period, 1662‐1722, during which hard paste porcelain bodies, beautiful glazes and dazzling cobalt blue underglaze decoration reached a pinnacle and took European markets by storm. Also from this inspired period is the Famille Verte group of overglaze enamels which includes green, black, yellow, iron red and gilding(1690‐1720) and the Imari palette of underglaze blue and overglaze iron red and gilding, a popular combination that originated in Japan, was knocked off by the Chinese and was exported widely from about 1720‐1740. The next big technological innovation that occurred that pretty much affected decoration on export wares throughout the rest of the Qing period was the development of opaque white and the Famille Rose palette. The white allowed enamels to be mixed and blended creating a much wider range of colors. This palette was applied to the refined wares of the Yongzheng period, 1722‐1736, and carried on through the very long and rich reign of his successor Qianlong, 1736‐1796. Pieces and services were made in European shapes and designs, ordered to cater to western tastes; everything from hunting scenes, to armorial services, and decoration based upon European history, mythology, religion, literature and popular contemporary events. One of the rarest pieces in the shop at present, is a Pronk‐designed chocolate pot, circa 1745, both the form and decoration based upon European designs. Another collecting category in Export wares
that takes direct inspiration from the west are pieces made for the American Market during the early years of our Republic, with patriotic designs such as the eagle from the Great Seal of the United States. Moving into the 19th century, Mandarin decoration came to the fore. Still rendered in the Famille Rose palette, and also referred to as “Rose Mandarin” and “Rose Canton”, these patterns can have lush borders of richly enameled flowers, fruits, insects and butterflies, but focus mainly on courtly scenes of Mandarins and their ladies at their leisure, as well as Imperial court scenes and depictions of scenes from popular literature such as “The Romance of the Western Chamber”. By the mid‐19th century, one of the last popular patterns in Famille Rose was developed; Rose Medallion continued on from about 1860 through to the beginning of the 20th century, with varying degrees of quality. By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic finer wares were produced, but they tend to be more in the style of earlier Imperial examples, in the Chinese taste, and are very popular with the nouveau riche Chinese collector who is driving the market today. This is just a cursory description of some of the examples displayed and periods discussed. The final segment of the presentation was given by Sean Blanchet who spoke on restoration techniques. Needless to say, damage and restoration affects the value and look of a piece; it is always wise to try and familiarize yourself with the techniques and what to look for. One method is overspray which is simply airbrushing over flaw or an area of an object. The problem is old overspray discolors with time, and new overspray often has a clear, glossy coat and feels a little different than the surrounding, unsprayed areas. Another process is Hxtal. This is a crystal clear, non‐yellowing epoxy adhesive formulated to perfectly match the index refraction of glass and it can be tinted to match the coloring of porcelain and ceramics and it seems to withstand time. With Hxtal little or no overspray is used, the seam is tiny and color‐matched and the object retains its “ring” when tapped; the seam is translucent when a light is shown through it. A final method for restoration is simply replaced parts with cold ceramic fillers which never have the vitreous properties of porcelain. To check for restoration, drag a key or ring LIGHTLY along the surface of an object and listen for the tone to go dull. If you can actually bite or nibble on a piece, you can feel the change from porcelain to area of restoration. Or, you can use a bright flashlight or spotlight up against the porcelain to expose lines or pieces hidden by overspray, or spray you haven’t noticed. And finally, use magnification and sunlight to look for filled overglaze enamels and Hxtal seams. HAPPY HUNTING!
CERAMICS UPDATE FROM THE MFA FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETING Reported by Jeffrey Brown The CSC returned to its usual digs at the College Club in November to hear Thomas Michie, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Art of Europe, at the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston speak on “Old Friends, New Directions at the MFA”. This was also the Club’s annual Vivian Hawes Memorial Lecture and Tom was especially delighted to be the speaker for this talk. Vivian contributed greatly to the MFA during her lifetime, both through scholarship and donations of objects to the collections; so Tom was happy to be part of this event that celebrates Vivian’s life and contributions to the world of ceramics studies.
Phenomenal examples of Augustus the Strong’s Meissen Menagerie from the Pflueger Collection.
Tom’s talk was basically an update on the progress at the MFA as to new galleries being opened after the extensive renovations and the additions that have taken place there. During this period of construction, many objects, (old friends, as he refers to them) were put into storage and new directions as to their future display were conceived and implemented. The most recently opened gallery now holds a vast array of 18th century decorative arts as well as the Pflueger Collection. Tom compared this new space with a 19th century photograph of the ceramics gallery at the old MFA in Copley Square where ceramics in cabinets were displayed
in a dizzying array and juxtaposition, overwhelming the viewer. The new approach displays ceramics with other decorative arts of the period to give the viewer an overall feeling for the aesthetic of the whole era. He illustrated how detailed floor plans are devised showing the exact placement of each specific object, one of the highlights of this one particular space being the Pflueger Collection of life size Meissen animals‐seven extremely rare pieces from Augustus the Strong’s porcelain menagerie. These creatures, all in white porcelain, are masterpieces of modeling and were technological nightmares to fire, eventually leading to the abandonment of the project. This period of renovation at the museum allowed for any restoration projects that needed to be done, such as a figure of a large hawk that suffered from extensive firing cracks and discoloration from earlier attempts at restoration. Tom was here able to highlight the restoration services and artists that the MFA has on staff to attend to such ongoing maintenance of the collections. Along with the mini‐menagerie are also displayed magnificent Meissen pieces inspired by Japanese Export of the period with Kakiemon designs, imitations of Chinese Yixing redwares, and of course, Meissen figures. Another great feature of this gallery is a display in imitation of an 18th century table setting, the thought being to exhibit porcelain tablewares, figures and silver together as they were seen and used in the period, not lined up along a shelf in a display cabinet. And speaking of tables, one of the other highlights of this room is a magnificent pier table made completely of porcelain with four piping musicians, each a supporting leg for the shaped top, from the Alcora Factory on Spain.
Porcelain figures, dinnerware and silver displayed to invoke the feeling of an 18th century dinner and show how these items were actually used.
Another smaller space to house the Markus Collection of European Porcelains and Enamels has been set aside to showcase fine examples of Dupaquier and Sevres, and opens out onto the Fenway entrance to the museum. And, a long corridor has been set aside for the Katz Collection of British Silver and Ceramics. Stunning examples of period silver will be shown along side of English delftwares, slip‐decorated redwares, and an array of fine pieces from English manufactories such as Bow, Chelsea and Derby, to name a few. It is now an easy comparison in this venue to observe how much porcelain forms were influenced by silver at this time. When not influenced by silver, many potters of the period took their inspiration from the natural world as evidenced by tureens in the form of sunflowers, cauliflowers, mother hens and even eels! The fashionable custom of tea‐drinking will also be well represented by a stellar collection of teapots and teawares in every conceivable style and body as well as the MFA’s extensive collection of fine English figural wares from this period.
The porcelain table from the Alcora factory in Spain, 18th century.
And besides these old friends, there will be new wonders to behold including the Newland Room, a very fine Georgian room, complete with a grand chimney piece, cornice and paneling…all discovered during renovations by workmen, having been completed walled up
and covered over by some previous administration! And finally, we can look forward to a grand new 17th Dutch gallery, highlighting the decorative arts of that Golden Age. Plans are already afoot for a field trip next year to see these new galleries and these “old friends” receiving the attention they so richly deserve.
AMANDA LANGE TOURS CERAMICS COLLECTIONS OF THE NETHERLANDS Reported by Jeffrey Brown The first talk of the CSC 2013 Program Year was given by CSC member and past President, Amanda Lange. As many of you know, Amanda is Chair, Curatorial Department and Curator of Historic Interiors at Historic Deerfield. Amanda’s talk was entitled, Dutch Treat: The American Ceramic Circle’s Study Tour of the Netherlands”, a trip she was fortunate enough to enjoy last year. Amanda, first and foremost, wanted to enlighten those who were unaware of the purpose of the American Ceramics Circle (ACC) which is non‐profit educational organization, founded in 1970, to promote scholarship and research in the history, use and preservation of ceramics of all kinds, periods, and origins. To that end there are international trips focused on ceramics and an annual conference held in a different location each year around the country. She strongly encouraged us to look into and enroll, as membership is based solely upon your interest in ceramics.
One of many rooms in the private townhouse of Asian art dealers Clemens and Neelje van der Ven
who have decorated in the 17th century style: porcelain EN MASSE! Plans are afoot to turn the house into a public museum.
Last year’s trip focused on the Netherlands which is often considered a Mecca for ceramics scholars and enthusiasts of Asian porcelain as well as Dutch delftwares. The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602 and established a direct trade route to Asia, importing large quantities of Chinese, and eventually, Japanese porcelains. These rare objects created a sensation and the demand was tremendous, as were the profits. A burgeoning middle class, wishing to emulate princely and noble collectors, also avidly sought these wares. The sheer abundance to this day of 17th and 18th century Asian porcelains in the Netherlands shows the Dutch prominence in the Export trade. One of the most pre‐eminent wares from this period, as discussed in previous lectures here at the CSC, is kraak ware. It is a thin‐bodied ware (easier to ship), that has a tendency to warp in the kiln, and is always decorated in underglaze blue. Its rim border is usually painted with alternating wide and narrow panels of decoration. It regularly appears in still life paintings of the period as it was so synonymous with the idea of luxury wares of the period. By the middle of the 17th century a war in China slowed this torrent of blue and white porcelain into the Netherlands to a trickle. The demand for much‐coveted blue and white wares was in part filled by the enterprising potters of the city of Delft who began producing eathen wares in emulation of Chinese porcelain, which they successfully marketed as “porcelain”. The product proved so popular that the ware was named “delftware”, not only in other manufacturing centers of the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Friesland) but in England as well. Delftware was produced from a combination of earthenware clays (fat clay and lean clay) and then fired at 800‐1000 degrees Celsius (1500‐1800 degrees F). Delftware colors are applied to the unfired glaze, decoration and glaze would then fuse together in a second firing. However for polychrome pieces, certain colors required different temperatures and required third or fourth firings. Delftware potting was difficult, time‐consuming and prone to accidents during production. Rarity today is due not so much to breakage over time, but to original breakage at the factory and to limited production. Delftware ranged from simple household items such as plain white earthenware with little or no decoration to elaborate objects such as tulipieres. Enormous quantities of tiles were also made, many still in situ in homes from the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the other reasons for ceramic enthusiasts to visit the Netherlands is to study room arrangement and the use of ceramics in period interior design. These Asian and European ceramics were used en masse and combined together, rather indiscriminately, with lacquer and mirrors to create an exotic fantasy world. Great royal and princely houses collected and displayed porcelains in gob‐smackingly, overwhelming displays; Augustus the Strong’s Japanese Palace contained over 57,000 pieces of Asian and Meissen porcelain! Daniel Marot, a French Hugenot who fled France to Holland to become a court designer to William of Orange (later William III of England) popularized the use of porcelains in interior schemes such as these, promoting a taste for “china closets”, intimate rooms where porcelains, exotic wares, and mirrors were arranged within an
architectural framework to create a fantastical space. His designs were widely circulated through engravings and their influence trickled down to the merchant middle class where they were further imitated. As to the actual sites visited, the ACC started with an impressive one indeed, TEFAF, in Maastricht, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012, is now universally regarded as the world’s leading art fair presenting 250 of the world’s leading galleries from 19 different countries. The displays and flowers equal the beauty of rare items exhibited. On to Stichting Huize de Loet in Ten Bosch where the group was able to tour the private townhouse of Asian art dealers Clemens and Neelje van der Ven who have decorated ten rooms with Chinese and Meissen porcelain and Delftware in the style of the aforementioned Marot, creating a magical space, each room devoted to a different type of ceramic. The house is in the process of being turned into a museum. The group was then treated to the beauties of the palace at Het Loo. Originally a hunting lodge, but later transformed into a grand baroque palace in the late 17th century by William of Orange after he became William III of England. Sumptuous interiors, again, reflect the influence of Daniel Marot. The group then traveled north to visit the Groninger museum in Groninger, where they were treated to a lecture by Christian Jorg on his most recent exhibit of Famille Verte porcelain, and later a tour of the storage vaults with their extensive and impressive masses of Chinese blue and white, Yixing stoneware, Dutch delftware and Japanese Imari and Kakiemon export wares. An equally overwhelming collection awaited the group at the National Ceramics Museum in Leewarden. Housed in a 17th century palace that was once the former residence of Princess Maria Louise van Hessen‐Kessel, widow of a Prince of Orange, the museum’s holdings are international in scope, as well as having a Dutch Delftware collection that represents every major factory in the Netherlands. As for the Asian ceramics, the collection illustrates the development of the Chinese ceramic industry from its earliest periods, 3rd century BC to the present, along with a comprehensive grouping of Swatow ware‐a type of mainly late Ming Dynasty export porcelain from China intended for the South East Asian market. It is generally coarse, crudely potted and often under‐fired; decoration is most commonly blue and white, although polychrome wares do exist, mainly with overglaze iron red and green decoration. Then it was on to Harlingen on the North Sea, a city best known for earthenware and delftware production where the group visited the city’s principal museum to study the large collection of Dutch tiles from circa 1600‐1933. Then, a short distance south to a small town called Makkum, to find the Netherlands’ oldest company, The Royal Tichelaar Factory, run since 1640 by thirteen generations of the Tichelaar family. The most recent heir has turned the manufactory around into an innovative laboratory for hand‐crafted custom products, and away from making standard classical pottery exclusively. They also excel at restoration and reproductions as they’ve practiced all the techniques since the 17th century. The next stop was the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. This museum, along with the Rijksmuseum has the largest collection of Dutch Delftware in the Netherlands. Tours were taken of the storage rooms and a study session was presented on Dutch Delftware, which, in its time, was called “porselein” as it was so close to the Chinese Export it was copying. One of
the reasons for this was “kwaart”, an extra layer of lead glaze fired onto the piece of delft after it was fired with its decoration; this gave it the glassy glaze resembling Chinese Export porcelains. This grand ceramics tour ended in Amsterdam; a morning visit to the National maritime Museum, then on to the Rijksmuseum (still under construction and renovation) and a farewell dinner in a 17th century ship’s chandler’s warehouse dating back to 1623 and left largely unchanged from this very Golden Age.
BITS ‘N’ PIECES Reported by Jeffrey Brown, Photographs courtesy of Nic Johnson Each February the membership gathers for it’s Bits ‘N ‘ Pieces meeting, our annual “show and tell” where we can share a favorite new acquisition, or bring to the group objects about which we have questions. The variety of beautiful things reflects the variety and diversity of the club membership and their interests and collections, the atmosphere is informal and convivial and everyone comes away knowing and appreciating a bit more about fellow members and of the ceramics world. Here are just a few of the offerings:
1. Sunken treasure? Yes indeed, a fine Chinese Export teabowl and saucer from the Nanking Cargo, mid 18th century.. 2. English Studio Arts Pottery Charger, circa 1970, from the Aldermaster Pottery, made to commemorate the second sailing of the Roanoke voyage.
3. A great example of Chinese Export 17th century kraakware...but here meticulously copied and produced in Dutch delftware! 4. Chinese? Japanese? You decide; everyone had an opinion about these charming little dogs, but no consensus could be reached. 5. “Kutahya Ware” milk jug, showing Iznik design influence, Turkey, 19th century. 6. A rare survivor, in great condition with a screw‐off top, this French faience sugar caster was beautifully decorated and most likely after an early 18th century silver form. 7. A diminutive Chinese Export lighthouse coffee pot, circa 1820, most likely from a child’s teaset, with brilliant enamels...no child seemed to have ever played with this! 8. A trilogy of elegant English sparrow‐beak cream jugs; Worcester, Liverpool and Bow, circa 1760‐80. 9. A mid‐century modern plate from Finland, the Ruska line, circa 1955‐60. 10. A child’s breakfast set, decorated with exotic animals, the pattern: “Arabia”, circa 1957, also from Finland.
This display of objects was a random choice meant to show the diversity of the day’s gathering, our apologies to those of you whose items were not pictured.