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Subject:Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Books
Posted By: Bokaba Sat, Jun 10, 2017 IP: 2605:e000:af16:3b00:

Hi Bill,

I was wondering which books on Chinese and Japanese porcelain you would recommend. I currently have the Schiffer Japanese Porcelain 1850-1950, Schiffer Chinese export porcelain, and underglaze blue and copper porcelains from the David Percival collection.

Thank you

Bokaba

Subject:Re: Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Books
Posted By: rat Sun, Jun 11, 2017

It depends on your area(s) of interest. You can find lots of good suggestions on the website below, but most of the books listed focus on museum quality works rather than the items you would find on ebay

http://www.gotheborg.com/bestbooks/?page_id=163

Subject:Re: Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Books
Posted By: JLim Fri, Sep 08, 2017


Dear Bokaba

I hold with the view of Anthony Allen that the older books are still surprisingly good sources. They tend to concentrate on export porcelains, for one thing, while modern books tend to focus on Imperials. They are also closer in history to the Qing dynasty (in Bushells case the Qing Dynasty was still operating), so there are really useful anecdotes about porcelain making and buying back in the day.

Old books:

Stephen W Bushell "Oriental Ceramic Art" - from 1896 - I was lucky enough to find a copy in an antiques store. Still surprisingly useful, with great anecdotes about how to buy porcelain in the late Qing era, and with many full colour plates. This in an era when "colour plates" meant some dude in a European museum squinting at a vase for hours and trying to paint in in watercolours!

Hobson "Chinese Pottery And Porcelain" from the 1930s - available cheap in Ebay. Still EXTREMELY useful and covers export ware heavily.

Soame Jenyns "Later Chinese Porcelain" also from the 1930s I think. Covers export ware nicely!


Modern books:

Nigel Wood "Chinese Glazes" from the 1980s - an utterly remarkable book. It is really useful to be able to learn how all these glazes were originally made - in a pinch one can remember the difference between Copper Red, Iron Red and Rouge De Fer, for example. And what is the true difference between Celadon and Apple Green?

Anthony J Allen "Introduction To Later Chinese Porcelain" - an absolute bible. Charmingly written, useful to people in the rough and tumble of actual porcelain collecting rather than the quiet of the museum. The original hardback (which I got at an exorbitant price) has stunning, stunning photographs that are really useful for actual collectors. Allen's later books are fine, but this one is the masterpiece.

"The Wanli Shipwreck And Its Ceramic Cargo" available from Sjen Sjostrand's website - check it out for a really thorough look at Transitional Era export porcelain circa 1625 - stunning photos.

Gerald Davison's book on Chinese marks - a thorough catalogue of Chinese porcelain marks - a true godsend.

I would recommend all the above as a good start to a Chinese porcelain collector's reference library. Then start collecting Sotheby's catalogues.

Rgds

JLim

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