Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain and its Impact on the Western World

3 October–1 December 1985

Blue and white porcelain of the Yuan and Ming dynasties is noted for its technical perfection, vibrant color and exotic designs, which craftsmen around the world have attempted to copy, ultimately leading to new designs and technical innovation. Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain and its Impact on the Western World explored the influences of Far Eastern aesthetics on the ceramics of the Near East, Europe, and Mexico up to the 18th century. Drawn from public and private collections from the United States and abroad, the exhibition comprised approximately 90 works, many of which have never been displayed before. In this exhibition, the Chinese originals were placed alongside their more modern Western imitations. The exhibition also traced the influence of Chinese blue and white porcelain on international trade and the European porcelain industry. John Carswell, Director of the Smart Museum and an expert on Chinese porcelain, edited and was the principal essayist for the catalogue. A major international symposium accompanied the exhibition, where eleven world-renowned specialists delivered lectures including Jessica Rawson of the Department of Oriental Antiquities at the British Museum; Robert Mowry of the Asia Society in New York; Oliver Impey of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford; Helen Philon of the Banaki Museum in Athens; and Edward Maser, Department of Art at the University of Chicago.

Curator: John Carswell, Director of the Smart Museum of Art

Share this:
The University of Chicago smARTKids