Jakabffy Imre szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 13. (Budapest, 1971)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM - MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Cseh, Éva: K'ang-hsi and Other Blue and White Porcelains from the 18th Century

ËVA CSEH K'ANG-HSI AND OTHER. BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAINS FROM THE 18TH CENTURY Till now. among the blue and while porcelain wares of our Museum, the so-called "transitional" and some K'ang-hsi porcelains were published.

1 In this present paper, wc intended to give an account of the pieces in oui- collection by introducing certain porcelains made during the period between the end of the I7lh and the end of the I St h century. In the end of the 1

7ill and in the following 18th century, porcelain production In China shows more variety than any of the former eras. Not considering the last few years of the I 8th century, ibis period implies the reign of three Manchu emperors. K"ang-hsi"s reign covers partly the i7lh century, and at the beginning, the character of the porcelains does nol reveal any particular difference, compared with the preceding era. The type of wares and the ornamentation of the "transitional" period continue even aller the power being taken over by the Ch'ing dynasty. The real change occurs only when ihe rule of Mnnehus is consolidated, approximately in 1680. In 1681, in Chingle eben, the imperial kilns are restored, in 1682, Ts'ang Ying-hsuan is assignated as censor of the kilns. Supervision by the court was maintained during the rule of the succeeding Emperors; activities of the three famous censors'' made porcelain production flourishing. Under the ride of K'ang-hsi, the cultural life rose to a level never experienced before and relations between Easl and West were greatly extended. It was the beginning of the I7lh century when large shipments of Chinese porcelain — mostly blue and whiles — were brought to ihe Western market as one of the most valuable items of the Dutch East India Company/' In Europe, such an opinion was formed of the porcelains of the first part of the (living's era that they already reached the peak, but such a perfection meant rather technical perfection. As a result of the recent researches, preferences are given lo the porcelains made during the Ming period. The prevailing trends of ornamentation of the era are found in the coloured enamel, but it did not diminish the demand for blue and whites either. Also, in this 1 T. Horváth: Some K'ang-hsi and "transitional" blue and while porcelains of the Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts. Yearbooks of the Museum of Decorative Arts, L. 1954. 2 K'ang-hsi (1662—1722), Yung-cheng (1723-1735) and Ch'ien-lung (1736-1796). 3 Time of activity: Ts'ang Ying-hsüan (1683-1726), Nien Hsi-Yao (1726-1736), T'ang Mug (1736-1749, or L753). T. Volker: Porcelain and the Dutch Easl India Company, Meddedelingen van het Rijksnuiseiiin voor Volkekiinde, Leiden, 1954.