SEACS member and collector Tim Clark covers the origin and development of the teapot in China. Once the dedicated function of this pouring vessel was established, the potters of Yixing unleashed their creativity in expressing its myriad forms. This led to a beautiful marriage of form and function which inspired potters in England to make their own impact on this artform.
Pim Bisalputra and Jeffery Sng explained how a type of seventeenth-century CE Chinese export ware to Southeast Asia casts new light on external influences in Siamese court culture. The motifs and patterns in some examples mark a departure from earlier wares embodying strong Chinese characteristics. The appearance of atypical patterns, such as Buddhist symbols and motifs, together with Islamic and Indo-Persian stylistic influence is puzzling. This talk argued that such Chinese export ware represents early made-to-order porcelain by the Buddhist Siamese court of Ayutthaya, and may help collectors who stumble upon such pieces in museums or collections, understand their origins.
Jaap Otte presents his findings on Japanese ceramics from the 19th and first half of the 20th century exported to Southeast including architecturally-used ceramics, 'bartmann' jugs, water storage jars from Hizen, Nagasaki ware bottles, Arita porcelain, Awaji porcelain, and industrial earthenware and porcelain.
SEACS members and their guests attended this long-awaited talk by ceramics expert Peter Lam on 'Kitchen Ch'ing porcelain made in Hong Kong'. Professor Lam introduced the 'Kitchen Ch'ing' blue and white kiln site in Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong focusing on its dating, type-forms and context comparing it to similar items found from SEA shipwrecks and sites that were familiar to many SEACS members, and providing references for newcomers to the topic of 'Kitchen Ch'ing' ceramics.
