Asian Art and History — The Global Trade in Chinese Export Porcelain

Lecture Asian Art and History The Global Trade in Chinese Export Porcelain William Sargent, Ph.D. , Independent Curator and Former Curator of Asian Export Art, Peabody Essex Museum From raw materials to finished products, from the wharves of China to the tables of the world, from the first pieces brought to Europe on the Silk Road through the discovery of sea routes and the invention of hard-paste porcelain at Meissen to today, when ceramics are ubiquitous, Chinese porcelain has held a special place on our tables and in our minds. In this presentation, we will look back at a time when porcelain was held in the highest esteem, took on magical and religious connotations and was reserved for only the highest echelons of society. Even as porcelain became widely available, our appreciation has not lessened. The survival of so much fragile beauty today remains an enticement to learn more about the technological, artistic and social implications of this astonishing material. This presentation is part of the Asian Art and History series. Image: Punch Bowl, 1800-1815, Gift of Elizabeth Dorchester and Anonymous, 1982, E72007, Peabody Essex Museum