Ceramics from the Dan McLawhorn '70 and Robert J. Hazelgrove, Jr. Donation

Blue and white porcelain, or Qinghua, is the most prevalent ceramic in China and admired by the world over with long-lasting popularity. Blue pigment, generally cobalt oxide, is hand applied to decorate white pottery or porcelain base under the glaze.

The technique was first invented in the 7th century, yet the true development did not start until the early 14th century when trade with Persia through the Silk Road in the 14th century greatly increased the import of cobalt. The motifs of these porcelains were drawn from floral patterns and Islamic decorations. In the Ming Dynasty, “blue and white porcelain” reached its peak and started mass exportation to other parts of the world and had a growing influence on many later Islamic, Japanese, and European wares.

Japan started producing its own blue and white ware around 1600, despite the difficulties to obtain cobalt. The technique is called sometsuke, which literally means “applying dye.” Most Sometsuke are produced in the Arita region. There are some kilns specializing in its high-quality production of blue and white porcelain, such as Hirado ware. They positioned the decorative style on a distinctive painterly "Japanese design vocabulary" with an expansion of shapes.

These three items show the diversity of motifs with the same color palette across the cultures, demonstrating the development of blue and white porcelain from China to Japan, from monochrome to polychrome.