A collector describes a favourite acquisition: a fine blue and white dragon bowl of the Qianlong Period featuring Ming-style rendered dragons interspersed with clouds or scrolls
SEACS members can now view our January programme: a richly-illustrated talk by Dr. Li Baoping on China's blue-and-white porcelain, covering both those iconic pieces that are our earliest evidence to the remaining questions as to the when, where and how's of China's most iconic ceramic. Non-members can view the society's extensive library of previously video-recorded lectures by joining SEACS online.
Dr. Li's talk will be on the world’s earliest blue-and-white porcelain: its significance, global distribution, and remaining questions. Dr. Li specializes in Chinese ceramics and their global distribution. His research involves collaboration with curators, scholars, artists, collectors and archaeologists across China and the world. Join us for this exciting update on China's most beloved B&W ceramics.
In the society's 24th William Willetts Lecture, Professor Peter Lee introduces the popular-amongst-overseas Chinese blue & white ceramics known as Kitchen Ch'ing, with reference to a HK New Territories' site located in Tai Po, and similar items found in SEA shipwrecks.
How the only collection of Yuan blue-and-white shards in America ended up in the Palace Museum in Beijing
Chen Kelun, Senior Curator of the Shanghai Museum, shares evidence from the latest archaeological finds showing that the production of B&W in Jingdezhen had begun by 1330 at the latest. A SEACS programme for members and guests held on 20 April 2022.
SEACS shares with you a hard-to-find essay by Dr. John N. Miksic on the B&W shards found in Trowulan, Indonesia. What relationship might they have with the B&W Yuan Dynasty shards found on the Temasek Wreck?
Marine archaeologist Dr. Michael Flecker shares the stories and discoveries of the two historic shipwrecks recently found in Singapore waters: the Temasek (Yuan Dynasty) and the Shah Muncher (sank January 1796) enroute from Guangzhou to Mumbai.
Guest speaker Chen Kelun (陈克伦), Senior Curator of the Shanghai Museum and an expert on Chinese blue-and-white ceramics, shared with us the fact that most of the kiln sites of Yuan blue-and-white production that have been discovered to date are in Jingdezhen, concentrated in Hutian (湖田) and Lao Cheng (老城, meaning the ‘old town’ areas). Evidence from the latest archaeological finds show that the production of blue-and-white in Jingdezhen had begun by 1330 at the latest. Technological innovation was the key driver for the production of large-sized blue-and-white wares. The diversity of decorative motifs and designs that illustrated his talk demonstrated the multiplicity of cultural sources, including Islamic culture. SEACS members can watch a video of this talk on our Membership Premium Video page.
Dr. WENG Yanjun (Director, Jingdezhen Ceramic Archaeology Institute) [...]
Purchased on a SEACS trip to Jingdezhen in 2010, this little replica covered cricket container remains one of its owner's favourite ceramic pieces.
Blue and White Ware Mantras: Sanskrit Inscriptions on Ming Ceramics [...]
