Blue & White

Chinese blue and white porcelain was a unique contribution to the history of ceramic technology. From its development at the beginning of the fourteenth century, and through its technical originality and artistic brilliance in intervening years, it has continued to captivate and inspire around the world. This beautifully illustrated book traces the history and evolution of blue and white in China, first during the Yuan dynasty (12711368), when the Mongols ruled all of Asia creating an environment in which blue and white could travel swiftly as far as the Mediterranean. In the fifteenth century the Chinese became enamoured of their own product, while at the same time the Ming potters were susceptible to ideas and influences from the Islamic world. During the colonial period of the Portuguese, Dutch and British expansion they responded to other commercial and aesthetic pressures. From the sixteenth century onwards, collecting became a passion and was a major influence on the concept of chinoiserie.