Anthony Du Boulay

Part of the Pleasures and Treasures series , published in 1963 so now some. 50 years old but in its time it was a ready seller and the author was a ceramics expert at Christies. The book is knowledgeable and reads well. The narrative is chronological and there is a chapter on early wares, then follows a discussuin of the porcellain of the Ming dynasty not to be confused with the Ching Dynasty. There is a final chapter on Chinese export porcelain. The question is what stimulated the technical advances is manufacture and how did the Chinese retsin their edge and quality to the displeasure and intense curiosity of the Europeans until the 18 th century. As the research into the chemistry of clay yielded results so European factories began to rival the imported Chinese wares. High Quality Chibese wares continued to find a ready market throughout Europe and has always been collected. The coloured illustrations of fine museum examples still appeals, Its a book that holds its own as a readable introduction to the subject. Although the text is relatively brief it is worth retaining… (mer)