Christie's Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics - Anthony du Boulay - 9780714880150

Description

Comprehensive and richly illustrated standard work on the history of Chinese ceramics, compiled by Anthony du Boulay, former head of the Chinese art department at Christie’s in London.

Christie’s Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics provides a chronological overview of the development of Chinese ceramics, from early earthenware traditions and Han dynasty ceramics to the refined porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties and 19th-century production.

The book contains more than 1,400 illustrated objects, of which approximately 250 are in colour. Using this large number of examples, Du Boulay discusses the development of forms, glazes, decorations and production techniques. Important groups such as Song ceramics, blue-and-white porcelain, monochrome glazes and decorated Ming and Qing porcelain are extensively covered.

What makes the book special is its close relationship with the art and auction practice of Christie's. The many illustrated objects offer a broad historical comparative material with which forms, styles and periods can be studied side by side. The objects also include historical auction values, which today are primarily of interest as documentation of the market for Chinese ceramics at the time.

Anthony du Boulay combines his art-historical background with his many years of experience at Christie’s. This makes the book both an accessible history of Chinese ceramics and a practical reference guide for identifying, comparing and dating objects. An extensive index facilitates its use as a reference work.

With its exceptionally large amount of images, it remains Christie’s Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics an especially useful book for collectors and enthusiasts of Chinese pottery and porcelain. ISBN 9780714880150.

Dimensions & condition
Hardback with dust jacket, lavishly illustrated in colour and black-and-white.

Very good condition with minor signs of wear to the dust jacket. See the photos for a full impression of the condition.

Product photographs show the object on offer exactly as photographed. Any interior images are AI-generated impressions, included solely to illustrate scale and presentation.