This will be a ZOOM meeting as our speaker, Li Baoping, is based in London, newly returned from Jingdezhen. 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. More information will be posted shortly.
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.
