Chinese Pottery and Porcelain; Vol. 2. Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain

Ming and Qing porcelain represents the pinnacle of Chinese ceramic achievement, and this 1915 volume stands as one of the first Western scholarly attempts to document and understand that achievement systematically. R.L. Hobson, then keeper of ceramics at the British Museum, draws on contemporary accounts, archaeological evidence, and the emerging scholarship of his era to trace the development of Chinese porcelain from the founding of the Ming dynasty through the Qing period. The book examines the imperial factories at Ching-te-chen, the technical innovations in clay bodies and glaze compositions, the evolution of decorative styles from blue-and-white to the polychrome wares of the Kangxi period, and the economic and cultural forces that shaped production. For collectors, art historians, and ceramics enthusiasts, Hobson's work remains a foundational text - not for casual reading, but for serious study. It captures a pivotal moment in Western understanding of Chinese art, reflecting both the knowledge and limitations of early 20th-century scholarship.