Blue on White ceramics - an ongoing bibliography

I should have posted this a while ago, please note, this page is updated as I find more gems. My collection of Blue on White ceramic images mapped to location of creation. Note: only 80 items initially load, you need to scroll to the end of the collection before they'll all show up on the map. Zoom into your area of interest to see clusters around centers of production.

(Japan and The Netherlands) A good 28 page article on the porcelain trade by the VOC from 1600 - 1660's. Discusses the introduction of Chinese porcelain via captured Portaguse ships in 1602 and 1604

Keel, C. 2007. Early 17th century Chinese Trade Ceramics for the Dutch Market: Distribution, Types and Consumption in Proceedings of the International Symposium: Chinese export ceramics in the 16th and 17th centuries

(Iraq, Iran and Egypt) A section on the Abbasiddian potters from a web based teaching course on islamic ceramics hosted by the Ashmolean Museum. http://islamicceramics.ashmolean.org/Abbasid/pottery.htm 

(Iraq, Iran and Egypt) A PDF article on the Abbasid perception of Chinese Ceramics.

Hallet, J. 2010 Pearl Cups like the Moon, The Abbasid perception of Chinese Ceramics. Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon Winds.. eds Krahl, R. Guy, J. Wilson, J.K. Raby, J. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, pp 75-81

(Iraq and Egypt) A great scientific paper PDF on the reciprocal influence of Tang China and Abbasid Iraq ceramics.

Wood, N., and Tite, M., (2009), ‘Blue and White – the Early Years : Tang China and Abbasid Iraq compared.’ Transfer : The Influence of China on World Ceramics. (Colloquies on Art & Archaeology in Asia No. 24. Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. ed. Stacey Person, ed. London University, pp 21-45

(Iraq) A short article on Basra's Potters and their developments

Attwood, R. 2005 Basra's Inventive Potters. Archeology Reviews. Vol 58, 2.

(Iraq, Iran, Egypt, China, Turkey) A PhD thesis I'd really like to get my hands on, scientific analysis of the origins of cobalt.
Wen, R. 2012. The cobalt blue pigment used on Islamic ceramics and chinese blue-and-white porcelain. PhD Thesis, University of Oxford. (China) A nice summary of political China and some great post-period items. http://gotheborg.com/chronology/index-chronology.htm (Iran - Timurid) Golombek, L. Mason, R.B. Bailey, A. 1996 Tamerlane's tableware: A new approach to the chinoiserie ceramics of fifteenth-sixteenth century Iran. Mazda Publishers  ISBN 10: 1568590431 (Iran - Safavid) Golombek, L. Mason, R.B. Bailey, A. 2013 Persian pottery in the first global age: The sizteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Brill. ISBN 10: 9004260927 (Iran - Ayyubid) Milwright, M. 1999. Pottery in the written sources of the Ayyubid-Mamluk period (c. 567-923 / 1171-1517). Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Vol 62, No 3. pp 504-518.

 

Buff green Pt 3 - Sultanabad inspiration

My buff test tile with Pale Jade circled. It's a reasonably boring colour though it might be good for replicating the celadon glazes of China.

I had another 12th century Iranian shaped cup so I decided that since I love sultanabad-ware so much I should try another experiment to see if I can replicate it with a clear turquoise / blue glaze. This cup has been underglazed in black oxide and what is called "Pale Jade". The Pale Jade under the clear glaze looks more like a very light blue. I'm hoping a transparent green coat will bring it to a more appropriate colour. I'm also hoping the difference between the buff colour and the pale jade will be sufficient to replicate the tonal differences seen in the Sultanabadware.

Sultanabad-ware underglaze

When decorating this cup I didn't want to copy a extant piece exactly because I'd already done that with my Lochac 12th night A&S entry (Part 1 of this Buff green set). Instead I used general references from my Sultanabad Pinterest collection.

Update: post firing.

Oh wow! I love this piece. The buff area has come out even more green than the jade area. When I was dipping the cup in the two green over glazes I noticed the overglaze didn’t really coat the underglaze. This may be because the bisque pores were full of glaze and couldn’t absorb mire water reducing the ‘stick’.

I can’t decide if the opaque green glaze was too thick here or if there simply hasn’t been sufficient heat. Either way, there are some cloudy areas which needs more investigation. It all seems to be around the rim...

Buff green Pt 2 - 12th night image references

No.	Image	Age	Location	Type	Size	Details
1		late 12th	Rayy, Iran	Stonepaste	12.7cm	Cup with running Ibex, the Met Museum. Item no. 67.104.
2		Late 12th	Kashan, Iran	Fritware	13.6cm	Cup. V&A Museum. Item C.1952-1910.
3		Late 12th	Persia	Stonepaste	13cm	A silhouette-ware pottery Jug, Bonhams. Auction 20833 lot 31.
4		early 13th ddddddddd	Persia dddddddd	Fritware. ddddddddd	12cm ddddddd	A Kashan cup with stylised vegetal decoration and inscriptions under a transparent turquoise glaze, Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World 2012 Lot 177. dddddddddddddddddddddd
5		1150-1220	Kashan, Iran	Fritware	13	Jug with Running Animals Cleveland museum of Art. Item 1947.495.
6		1170-1220	Kashan, Iran	Fritware	17cm	Jug, Cleveland Museum of Art. Item 1915.584.
7		1200	Persia	Fritware	11.5cm	A Kashan underglaze-painted pottery Handled Cup. Bonhams. Auction 17854 lot 132.
8		900-700 BCE	Tepe Sialk, Iran	earthenware	12.5cm	One-handled cup. The Met Museum. Item 39.60.7. 12.5cm tall
9		1150-1220	Kashan, Iran	Fritware	13.3cm	Minai Beaker with Seated Princes. Cleveland museum of Art. Item 1917.977.
10		13th	Kashan, Iran	Stonepaste	11.4cm	Beaker,  The Met Museum Item no. 12.33.2
11		Late 12th	Kashan, Iran	Fritware	9.8cm	Cup. V&A Museum. Item C.52-1929,
12		12-13th	Persia	Fritware	12.5cm	Silhouette-ware beaker with palmettes. Harvard Art Museum. Item. 1936.48.

Buff green Pt 1 - 12th night entry

12th Night Lochac A&S competition Entry

My entry for the Kingdom of Lochac 12th night Arts and Sciences competition in the category of "A container" is a cup based on an extant example from 12^th century Iran (Persia). This cup has been hand thrown and hand glazed by myself over the last two months. It is currently unfinished, sitting at stage 6 of 7. This accompanying documentation will discuss the extant item, the creation of the object and my development in the following sections:

• The extant object - what I've learned about how it was originally made & glazed.
• construction - stonepaste
• construction - shape
• glaze - slip
• glaze - underglaze
• reference cup summary
• Constructing the replica - stages and learning
• Glazing the replica - stages and learning
• Reflection
• References (alphabetical)
• Table - additional extant items referenced - shape

This project has taught me a lot about ceramics cups, having grown from previously only throwing one moderately successful cup under complete guidance prior to November 2019 to being able to independently form and shape the objects quite close to what I am after. I am rather pleased with the results and plan on exploring period shapes and glazes more going forward. I believe I have achieved the targeted outcome of this project and there is very little I’d change for future implementation.