Chinamania : The Impact of Chinese Porcelain on European Taste, Collecting and Display
Thu 4th Apr 2024 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Featured Image Attribute
Chinese and Chinoiserie furnishing and furniture of the last four centuries. by Konstig, Seppo - Finland - CC BY
Description of Lecture
When the very first Chinese porcelains found their way to Europe, the beauty and fragility of the material led to their being mounted with precious metal and treasured alongside other rare and exotic objects such as ostrich eggs and rock crystal vessels. They were housed in cabinets of curiosities and exchanged as diplomatic gifts between great European rulers. This early and exclusive ownership of Chinese porcelain spread enormously in the 17th century with the opening up of trading routes between Europe and the Far East and led to a widespread fashion for housing and displaying collections of Chinese ‘blue-and-white’; and spawned a whole range of European imitations.
This lecture will examine the enormous and long-lasting influence that these Chinese porcelains had on European taste and culture and the whole history of interior design.
Lecturer
Jane has an MA in the History of Art from the University of London. She trained and works at the V&A. Jane holds a senior post at Sotheby`s and lectures for the National Trust and the Art Fund. Jane travels to Paris and Saudi Arabia to lecture so brings a wide range of lecturing experience to her Art Society lectures.