The reception and adaptation of oriental ceramics in Britain, with particular reference to imperial Chinese copper-red wares

Maxwell, Mandy Jill (2006) The reception and adaptation of oriental ceramics in Britain, with particular reference to imperial Chinese copper-red wares. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis analyses the assimilation of the copper-red glaze into British ceramics throughout the 20th century. The theme of assimilation is approached from different angles; technological, historical and cultural. Major themes are Manufacturing, Style, Taste and Collecting. Rich documentary and material sources are taken from museums in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Staffordshire. These are supplemented with interviews, contemporary transactions and periodicals. The study reveals that objects - in this case copper-red ceramics - however replicated, undergo significant shifts in meaning to be reinterpreted with new sets of values corresponding to the age in which they are produced. In certain contexts, consumers appear less concerned with authenticity and seem even to prefer objects that represent the stylistic bricolage that has come to represent much contemporary British design. In turn, shifts in value and taste have contributed to the democratisation of collecting and the 'collectable'. Manufacturing has responded to recent interest in collecting with items 'made to collect', promoting the notion of 'instant' antiques. Derivations of the rouge flambe glaze have been subject to the manufacturing culture of limited editions. The groups and individuals behind these forces have been discussed throughout.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Art history, ceramics, manufacture, style, collecting.
• Subjects: N Fine Arts > NK Decorative arts Applied arts Decoration and ornament
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities
• Supervisor's Name: Pearce, Dr. Nicholas
• Date of Award: 2006
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2006-71887
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 17 May 2019 09:31
• Last Modified: 28 May 2021 12:30
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.71887
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/71887