8 Ceramics


Incense burner, porcelain, Ming dynasty, Wanli period, dated 1603, Museum of East Asian Art Cologne


Moonflask, porcelain, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-24), Museum for East Asian Art, Cologne All photos: © HAST/RBA Cologne


MING MYTH Blue and White Ceramics


I


n Cologne, a new exhibition chronologically traces the artistic and technical development of blue and white porcelain and its trading history from the early phase in the Ming dynasty to its decline in the 17th century. In addition to the production for the court,


the


exhibition highlights export wares for various regional markets and the attempts by Persian, Ottoman, and European faience manufacturers to imitate the Chinese models. Te ceramics are complemented by other objects such as paintings, miniatures, woodblock prints, and photographs. On display are pieces from the museum’s own collection, permanent loans from the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation, as well as loans from Cologne’s municipal museums, the Netherlands, and important German private collectors. Te curator of the exhibition, Dr Daniel Suebsman, points out,


‘Vessels and plates decorated with mythical creatures,


literary scenes,


poems and auspicious flowers and symbols provide an insight into the intellectual world of the cultivated upper class of the Ming dynasty, which was strongly influenced by the three religions, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism’. An important work in the


exhibition, which has a special connection to the Rhineland, is a bowl decorated in blue and white with enamel colours, which Count Eberhard von Manderscheidt (1552- 1608) brought back from Turkey in 1583. Te object, on loan from a private collection, is considered to be the earliest documented blue and white Ming porcelain in Germany. Te Cologne Cathedral Canon Count Eberhard von Manderscheidt- Blankenheim made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1583 where he was admitted to the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. Shortly before, he had been appointed ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor


ASIAN ART | OCTOBER 2025 |


Rudolf II (1552–1612), and had paid a visit to the Sublime Porte (central government) in Istanbul and was received by Sultan Murad III (1546– 1595). From Turkey, Eberhard brought two Chinese porcelain bowls (and a robe), which he had mounted in silver-gilt in the Rhineland as goblets. Identical bowls can be found in the collection of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, which hints that these bowls might have been gifts from the Sultan. After the male Manderscheidt line ended in the 18th century and the French invasion of Blankenheim, the cups presumably reached Bohemia via the female line and were eventually sold at auction in London in 1970. Te cup in this exhibition went into private ownership, the other is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Although there is evidence of a


limited use of cobalt blue during the Tang dynasty (618-907), its use was seen as a striking innovation during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Later, during the Ming dynasty (1368- 1644), blue and white porcelain using cobalt blue pigment became more widespread. Tis blue pigment was originally imported from Persia. During the Ming period, the hue and depth of colour was intensified, perhaps brought about by the discovery of a local cobalt which could be mixed with the ‘Persian Blue’. After its introduction of blue and white porcelains to the world through increased global trade, these ceramics became hugely popular, especially in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Tis growing demand meant that the original style was imitated and embellished by local potters around the globe. From the mid-15th century, blue and white ceramics had become an important, global product that managed to not only contain its Chinese characteristics but also to evolve in style to accommodate


#AsianArtPaper | asianartnewspaper |


Bowl, faience, Turkey, Iznik, 16th century, on loan from the Museum of Applied Arts Cologne


made for the serving and consumption of food and beverages, for ritualistic purposes, and daily life. Tis category includes stem cups, flasks, bottles, ewers, jars, and bowls along with a variety of flat and serving dishes and other shaped tableware. Other rare survivors include diplomatic gifts and luxurious export items. Although the Xuande Emperor’s


(1426-35) reign was short, many ceramics, particularly blue and white wares, were produced. During this period, several mythical animals and birds started to be used in the designs, such as dragons, sea creatures, cranes, and phoenixes, as well as the popular Tree Friends of Winter designs. Te technique for firing underglaze cobalt blue wares was also refined using locally mined ‘potangqing’ cobalt, so potters were no longer reliant on imported Persian Blue. Later in the Ming dynasty, during Emperor Zhengde’s rule (1506-21), blue and white ware became more diverse in form and design. Jessica Harrison Hall, in her book


WATCH


Blue and White Ceramics:


From Basra to Jingdezhen by


Dr Melanie Gibson


Stem cup decorated with scholars in a pine grove, Ming dynasty, Wanli period (1573-1620), Museum for East Asian Art Cologne


diverse cultural traits and to meet local tastes. When the new Ming rulers


overthrew the Mongol Yuan dynasty, the output of the potteries of Jingdezhen changed. During the reign of Emperor Hongwu (1368- 98), the character of the porcelain was notably different, it became more sinicised, moving away from the richly decorated pieces from the Yuan dynasty to cater for a more Chinese taste. Floral designs such as peonies and chrysanthemums are common, as are stylised waves along with lotus and cloud-collar patterns, and depictions of the ‘Tree Friends of Winter’ – pine, bamboo, and prunus. Troughout


Manderscheidt Cup, porcelain, Ming


dynasty, Jiajing period (1522-66), silver gilt mount from the Rhineland dated 1583, loan from a private collection


asianartnewspaper | white ceramics


the Ming, blue and adapted to


the


changes in the kingdom. Many existing ceramics from the Yongle period (1403-24) comprise wares


Asian Art Newspaper


Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, writes, ‘Blue and white imperial wares of the Zhengde era may be divided into three main types: those with Arabic and Persian inscriptions, those with dragon designs on a dense lotus ground or lotus designs, and those archaistic items which copy 15th-century porcelains. Porcelains decorated with motifs specifically for the European market can be traced to the last years of the Zhengde Emperor’s reign’. Te last quarter of the 16th century


saw the dynasty’s longest reigning monarch on the throne – Wanli (1573-1620). During his reign, the Jingdezhen kilns were unsurpassed in the quality and quantity of their output. Tey also began to manufacture ‘Swatow’ wares, often made for daily use that encompassed dishes, jars, bowls, and bottles, they were coarser in character than the fine court porcelains but were exported in great numbers to Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Middle East, and on a smaller scale, to Europe. Other export wares include ‘kraak’ from the Dutch term for the type of boat used to transport them to Europe. Kraak ware comprises mainly bowls, dishes, and cups, and is identified by a finely crafted body, press-moulded form, and underglaze blue decoration using


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24