An exhibition of 80 pieces of 17th- century Chinese porcelains
from the Shanghai Museum and UK's Butler family was opened at the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London on Wednesday.
The exhibition, named "Dragons and Immortals," features a
collection of bowls, incense burners, brush pots and other objects
for the scholar's desk from the late Ming Dynasty (1488-1644), when
the country witnessed a transition into the Qing Dynasty (
1614-1911).
First of its kind in the UK, the exhibition illustrates the
brilliant creativity of the potters and ceramic decorators of
Jingdezhen, the main porcelain production center in southern China
in the 17th century.
In 1607, a much-weakened Ming court abandoned direct control
over the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen, allowing the best craftsmen
to work for private kilns, serving customers other than the
imperial palace.
Wealthy merchants and the landed gentry became important patrons
while the Japanese bought Chinese porcelains for their traditional
tea ceremony.
Dutch traders also purchased large quantities of porcelains and
exported them all over Europe. When the Qing Dynasty was officially
founded in 1644, Jingdezhen continued its innovation, creating many
new shapes and decorative styles.
This exhibition, the continuation of a show inaugurated in the
Shanghai Museum where it was proved to be a great success, will
last until June.
(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2006)
