Kraak porcelain is among the best-known forms of Chinese export porcelain from the late Ming Dynasty. It was manufactured in large numbers for the European market and plays an important role in the history of world trade, collecting culture and the creation of porcelain collections in Europe.
Today, kraak porcelain is loved by collectors for its distinctive decoration, historical significance and direct relationship to the early modern trade networks between China and Europe.
Where does the name ‘kraak’ come from?
The term kraakporcelain is probably derived from the Portuguese word carraca, a type of large sailing ship used for the long trade routes between Asia and Europe. These ships carried silk, spices and porcelain, among other things.
Although the exact etymology is not fully established, it is generally believed that the name refers to porcelain introduced to Europe via these ships. The term later became established as a designation for a specific type of Chinese export porcelain.
What is kraak porcelain?
Kraak porcelain was produced in China, particularly in the Jingdezhen region, during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It mainly concerns plates, dishes and bowls, often executed in blue-and-white decor under transparent glaze.
Characteristically, the surface is divided into compartments or panels, filled with alternating motifs such as:
flowers and plants
symbolic objects
landscapes
animals or birds
This panel structure gave the porcelain a clear visual order, which was in keeping with European taste and table culture.
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Use and distribution in Europe
In Europe, kraak porcelain was initially seen as a luxury good. It found its way into princely courts, wealthy merchant houses and, later, into wider layers of the elite. Kraak porcelain plates and dishes were used at banquets, as well as displayed in cupboards and on sideboards as status symbols.
The influence of kraak porcelain was profound. European potters and porcelain factories tried to imitate its appearance, which eventually contributed to the development of European porcelain.
Variety and quality
Although kraak porcelain was produced in large numbers, there is considerable variation in quality, shape and decoration. Some pieces are finely and carefully painted, others more simply executed for wider markets.
Collectors pay attention to, among other things:
clarity of blue
sharpness of decoration
form and proportions
condition of the glaze and edge
It is precisely this variation that makes kraak porcelain an interesting and versatile collecting area.
Kraak porcelain in collections and research
Kraak porcelain is well represented in museum collections and is an important object of study within art and trade history. Publications such as Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam offer insights into provenance, typology and use of these objects within a broader cultural context.
The combination of historical documentation and tangible objects makes kraak porcelain a perennially relevant topic for researchers and collectors alike
Kraak porcelain at Vergulde Kat
Within our collection are original objects of kraak porcelain as well as relevant literature on the subject. Together, they offer a multifaceted picture of this distinctive export porcelain and its place within the world history of ceramics.
