China Shipping

Fish, Asian-looking figures and flowers in blue set on white porcelain: all typically Chinese and with a long tradition. Knowledge of how to make porcelain was known early on in China, for which reason it became an export hit towards the West from the 14th century onwards. Not until porcelain was (re-)discovered in Dresden in 1709 did production for the European market slowly trail off. In the case of the blue painting typical of China, Chinese handicrafts and Islamic traditions are interwoven: originally, the cobalt blue was meant to imitate precious lapis lazuli. Shortly after it was founded, the Meißener Porzellanmanufaktur copied this painting so perfectly that attributions are sometimes difficult to make. The gilding of the plate represents something of a mystery. It was obviously only applied once it had reached Europe. The ship in the middle resembles a Chinese junket and a European merchant ship in equal measure.