Chinese Trade Ceramics for Southeast Asia, I-XVII Centuries: Collection of Ambassador and Mrs. Charles Müller

Known for their beauty, subtle colors, and astonishing forms, Chinese export ceramics are some of the most exquisite and delicate works of art ever created, and are the subject of admiration for generations of art lovers, collectors, and scholars. In this extraordinary book, a wide range of porcelain created and decorated exclusively for export to Southeast Asian markets—not to the West—is presented in vibrant photographs.

 

These fascinating pieces, from the Müller Collection in Geneva, are finely crafted objects, many designed for daily use: plates, cups, saucers, and teapots. The richly illustrated essays trace the evolution of Chinese ceramics produced expressly for export from the so-called swatow porcelain to the translucent pale green gres of the Song and Yuan period (11th-14th centuries) to the famous blue-and-white pottery of the Ming dynasty (14th-17th centuries).