Daily Archives: November 9, 2018

DD3006_10_Contextual Analysis: Visuals

Team 6 Final Project, , , , , , ,

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE VISUALS OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

  • THE ELEMENTS
    • FLOWERS
    • LINES
    • BOY
    • LADY
    • BIRD
    • IMPERIAL MARK
Coffee pot. China, around 1735.

I will begin the analysis of the painting by firstly trying to identify each elements then move on to find meaning and significance of those elements in the context of Chinese painting. Eventually, I wish to propose some narrative about the painting on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

FLOWER

I will begin with the main flower pattern which was painted on the body of the Chinese Coffee Pot. After researching through different possible flowers type and motifs of porcelain, I found that a possible pattern for this series is the Four Seasons. I will explain more on the Four Seasons before continue with the matching of each flower.

Flowers on the Chinese Coffee Pot.
 FOUR SEASONS
This decorative pattern is also called Four Flowers according to its floral motif. It appears on a variety of vessels forms, including large, medium and small bowl, serving dish, tea cup, wine cup, and spoon. Four kinds of flowers representing each season are distributed evenly on the surface of the vessels, with the image of a peach in the central part of the vessel. The flowers chosen by the porcelain painters are specified species representing each season. When the four flowers appear together on the porcelain, they stand for a complete circuit of four seasons and also conveyers of a full set of meanings auspicious to the Chinese. The Four Seasons is the most decorative kind in terms of its colourful appearance. On the other hand, the Four Seasons porcelain was more costly than others in the Chinese tableware market. Its colourful and relatively more elaborate decoration is one of the influencing factors for this higher price. It has a meaning of “May you wealth and fortune throughout the year”.

Element

Symbolic Meaning of Decorations

Peony (spring). The king of flowers is the most popular botanical motif in Chinese art. The flowers are closely associated with royalty because they have been grown in imperial gardens since the Sui dynasty (581-618). It symbolises wealth and honour in the sense of high rank, having an official position, or high social status. Peony in a vase (the latter symbolises safety) means ‘may you have peace and prosperity’.

Wealth and honour

Lotus (summer). Popular theme in Chinese literature and art with the spread of Buddhism as symbol for purity and harmony. The symbolism of lotus is also derived from the puns that come from the Chinese pronunciation of its name, he hua or lian hua are both homophonous with the Chinese word for peace, union, continuity, and to link or connect. Therefore image of lotus is often combined with happy marriage and birth of children. Another name shui furong of lotus is a pun for wealth and honour hence lotus is also symbol of flourish and prosperity.

Purity and harmony; peace, union, continuity; prosperity

Chrysanthemum (autumn). With plum blossom is called Two Friends of Winter as both bloom when most flowers wither under the cold and frost winter winds. Ancient Chinese drank chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in order to prolong their lives. Chrysanthemum can also be used as medicine: people drink tea brewed from its petals, which helps to reduce heat and remove toxic substances in human body.

Perseverance, longevity

Plum blossom (winter). With chrysanthemum is called Two Friends of Winter as both bloom when most flowers wither under the cold and frost winter winds. Also, the plum blossom is also a sign of one’s safety. Ancient Chinese people would paint a plum blossom on envelope or letter itself, which announces peace and safety.

Perseverance, longevity; safety

Peach

Longevity

Endless knot

Longevity
VISUAL COMPARISON
Peony

Related image
Bowl with peony in falangcai painted enamels Qing dynasty, Yongzheng reign 1723-1735

Peony on the Chinese Coffee Pot.
Lotus

Kingfisher and lotus. Detail of a plate (one of a
pair) of the YongZheng period (1723-I735).

Lotus on the Chinese Coffee Pot.
Chrysanthemum
Image result for chrysanthemum and morning glory porcelain
A doucai ‘chrysanthemum’ jar and cover, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795). 

Chrysanthemum on the Chinese Coffee Pot.
Plum Blossom

A painting of plum blossom tree.

Plum blossom on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

The pattern repeats throughout. The flower at the lid might be peony or plum blossoms.

Flowers on the lid of  the Chinese Coffee Pot.

At the same time, it is also known that four seasons pattern usually accompanied with peach at the centre however there is no peach painting on the porcelain. However the knob at the top might seem like a peach. Maybe it has been the peach that is created to complete the four seasons while making it functional.

Knob at the top of the Chinese Coffee Pot.

There are also leaves in different green surrounding the flowers. The leaves that looks like C shape might represent the acanthus leaf influenced by Rococo style. This type of leaf is only found at the bottom half of the body.

Acanthus leaves influenced by Rococo style.

Also, the four seasons is said to be accompanied with endless knot to show that the season repeats and all the good things last for good. At this pot, there are pattern that looks like representing the endless knot at near the rim of the body. It is in gold colour and looks similar to endless knot.

Pattern that looks like endless knots on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

Trying to find the meaning of the knot, the closes I could find from Chinese symbolical ornament is the eight precious things and the eight lucky emblems of the Buddhists. In particular, the shape seems close to 

  • number 3 of the eight precious things, meaning: probably one of the dual symbol the female)
  • number 6 of the eight precious things, meaning: probably books
  • number 8 of the eight lucky emblems of the Buddhists, meaning: Chang, an emblem of longevity
The eight precious things.
The eight lucky emblems of the Buddhists.

Therefore the flowers on the Chinese Coffee Pot may mean to carry the message of “May you wealth and fortune throughout the year” and that it will go on for good for the owner.

LINES

The vertical and horizontal dividing line of the coffee pot might be made in order to make it more relatable to the European market. It is made to make the coffee pot looks more familiar with European coffee pot during that time.

Firstly is about the pink vertical line of the pot. As the lines divide the coffee pot to 10 equal parts, its intention might have been to create copy and simplify the octagonal coffee pot in Europe. The octagonal designs coffee pot has been introduced in 1710.

George I Silver Octagonal Coffee Pot

The vertical lines of the Chinese Coffee Pot.

Meanwhile, the horizontal line seems to be the painting version of festoons, a chain or garland (of flowers, leaves, or ribbons) hung in a curve as a decoration. The element of festoon on a coffee pot has been popularised during the Rococo era. At the same time, the shape of the festoon is made of the acanthus leaf which is one of the basic motifs of Rococo design. The shape of the leaf itself seems to be modified and made more stylised and Chinese on the coffee pot.

Augsburg Rococo Coffee Pot.

The festoon of acanthus leaf on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

Therefore, the line might have been made with the intention of giving some kind of visual illusion that represents the depth and shape of the coffee pots style in Europe. It seems like the lines were made with influence of European coffee pot style and demand during that time in order to make it more appealing in the European market.

BOYS

Boys on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

To begin analysing the boys on the coffee pot, I began by the first finding about the meaning of boys playing at garden through a activities pamphlet of Chinese porcelain.

A page of activities phamplet made by T. T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art.

From the pamphlet, a possible story for the boys in Chinese porcelain might be the ‘children at play’ which called a picture of babies at play or a picture of a hundred sons that symbolises numerous sons and happiness. Looking more about the term, I found  vases that will help in telling the story of the boys on the coffee pot.

 Chinese vases under the Qianlong emperor (reigned A.D. 1736-1796).

The primary decorative motifs on these vases are paintings of children at play in a garden. The subject is a variation of the popular “One Hundred Boys” motif that appeared on ceramics, paintings, and textiles in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Because the birth of sons was highly desired in traditional Chinese culture, images of numerous boys at play were regarded as auspicious, and were often displayed around the New Year’s festival to bring luck in the coming year.

Both vases depict boys lighting firecrackers, a traditional New Year’s activity intended to scare away malevolent ghosts and spirits. Other passages show boys fishing, another common New Year’s subject, since the Chinese word for fish is homophonous with the word for abundance and prosperity. However, the fantastic garden setting, and the scenes of boys releasing mythical spirits and beasts from magic bottles, indicate a much broader theme than simple New Year’s wishes, namely the innocence and magic of childhood.

COMPARISON WITH COFFEE POT
After knowing about that, I may say that a possible narratives for the coffee pot is the related to the context of New Year’s Festival as well. One boy on the coffee pot seems to be blowing a trumpet in joyous gesture while the other one seems like holding a magic bottles, releasing mythical spirits and beasts. As the coffee pot was made around the same period as the vases, it is likely that the mindset of the people for children is that the birth of sons was highly desired and will bring luck to the family. Therefore, the narrative carry the innocence and magic of childhood as well as a message that having sons will bring good fortune.

However, there is one thing that distinct from the coffee pot boys, the boys are European, not Chinese! Comparing paintings of European and Chinese boys during 1700s, we can differentiate them from their hair colour, hairstyle and clothing.

Philips Charles Group Portrait Of A family By A Lake And A Classical Pavilion (c.1730-40).
Chinese boy European boy
Dark hair colour Light hair colour
Chinese clothing with baggy long  European clothing with long coat and laces at the sleeves
Long or short loose pants Knee breeches and hose
Chinese flat shoes buckled shoes

But why the boy is European? Maybe it is because of the targeted market of European market or it might be upon request by the patron. Another possible reason is to make it more appealing and relatable for the European market. In that way, the boy visuals may be a marketing strategy to make the coffee pot more appealing as it radiates the happiness and innocence of the (buyer’s) childhood. While at the same time believe to bring good fortune, for those who believe so.

LADY

The lady head on the Chinese Coffee Pot. 

Another element is the lady head that might have served as the thumb-piece of the coffee pot. Comparing with the Chinese export porcelain figures of the same period, it is likely that the lady was made to be Chinese. It is apparent from the dark hair colour compared to the European lady (see the painting mentioned on previous part) of that time which mostly have light hair covered in wig. At the same time, the face shape and white color also indicate that the porcelain Chinese skin at the period was made to be white therefore it supports the claim that the lady is Chinese. However, the difference can be seen from the hairstyle of the lady. As the porcelain figures represent the hairstyle of court lady, the hair is bun up while the one on the coffee pot has lower hair bun. It might represents that the social status of the lady of coffee pot is lower than a court ladies, it is possible for the lady to represents commoners.

Pair of Chinese export porcelain figures of court ladies with nodding heads. Circa 1735, Yongzheng reign, Qing dynasty - SOLD
Chinese export porcelain figures of court circa 1735, Yongzheng reign, Qing dynasty.

But again, why would the lady be a Chinese lady if the target market is European? Some possible scenario that I could think of is that the coffee pot might be targeted for Chinese ladies staying in Europe. But it is unlikely as the demand for coffee in China, so I assume for Chinese descendant in Europe as well, might not be that high for the cost producing such porcelain. Another scenario is that maybe the Chinese fashion and style was also a trend in Europe during that period, therefore it was made to appeal fashionable and cater the European market.

BIRD

Bird on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

There are bird paintings on the top half of the coffee pot body. After browsing through many Chinese art, I was convinced that the bird represents phoenix. Comparing to the reference, the bird seems to have similar shape including its long tail, pointy headpiece, short beak and long feet. The only different was that the closed wings on the coffee pot. 

Phoenix on a Chinese embroidered silk coverlet, on the state bed at Calke Abbey, early 18th Century / NT 291768

PHOENIX
The phoenix is a sacred bird of Chinese mythology. The phoenix alone is a symbol of joy and peace believed to be the king of all birds and also a symbol of good fortune. As the second of Four Super Natural Creatures the phoenix has the head of a pheasant, the beak of a swallow, a long neck, multi-colored legs and the tail of a peacock. It symbolizes the sun, fertility, abundant harvest, good luck and longevity. During the Ming and Qing dynasties the Chinese phoenix was adopted as the symbol for the empress and charged with yin, the negative principle of the cosmos, while the dragon was selected as a symbol of the emperor and thought to be charged with yang, the positive principle of the cosmos

However, after further analysis and research and looking to more samples, I realised that the coloring and the posture of the bird do not really represents a phoenix that was commonly shown in Chinese porcelain. Usually, the phoenix will be shown flying with its long tail spread all over direction (usually upwards), often painted together with dragons. I had doubt whether it is a phoenix until I found a piece that convinced me that the bird on the coffee pot is not a phoenix but a pheasant instead. The porcelain has a pheasant perched on the branch of a peony tree surrounded by flowering peonies and aster.  

2010C305
Red & Gold / Rouge-de-Fer 1690-1730. China c 1730.

Finding a page of both phoenix and pheasant, I have set my view that the bird on the coffee pot represents pheasant. Apparently, phoenix was generally depicted with similarity to an ornamental pheasant. Observing the differences, I feel that the main different lies in the posture, tail and colour of the birds.

Phoenixphoenix Pheasant

pheasant
tend to be portrayed while flying as the animal prefer to walk than fly, they tend to be portrayed as perching on something or walking on the ground
the direction of the tail tend to be upwards with more complex details the direction of the tail tend to be downward with simpler tail shape
the colour of the body parts varies from painting to painting, some of the wing colour shown to be similar with the other body part colour the colour of the wing tend to be portrayed in different colours than other part of the body

THE GOLDEN PHEASANT
As the headpiece of the pheasant is gold, it can be considered the golden pheasant or Chinese pheasant. Long tailed pheasants were popular on porcelain decoration. The pheasant is a very popular motif on Chinese export porcelain and frequently appears on enamelled and underglaze blue Kangxi wares. It also plays a rather prominent part in early Chinese literature. The bird was represented as standing on a rock, looking towards the sun, the imperial symbol of authority. In Chinese bureaucratic hierarchy officials of the second grade had a gold pheasant embroidered on their court robes, those of the fifth grade a silver pheasant. Pheasants are also strongly associated with women and is depicted as a general symbol of beauty, good fortune and refinement.

In conclusion, the golden pheasant might mean to bring beauty, good fortune and refinement for the coffee pot owner.  At the same time, it might be a wish to gain promotion or authority. These wishes make the elements more meaningful to make the coffee pot more demanded and wanted in the market. 

IMPERIAL MARK

At the time, Jingdezhen was producing famille rose porcelain which one might easily assume was being made for the nouveaux rich, were it not that some of them bear the nianhao of the emperor. Guyuexuan (meaning ‘Old Moon Pavilion’) is the name given to snuff bottles of polychrome enamelled glass and bibelots of enamel decorated porcelain of yongcai. However, the name was also given to the cups and vases of famille rose porcelain which were of exceptional quality and careful decoration. Painted for the Imperial palace between 1727 and 1754, the best pieces (small teapots, cups, pots, goblets etc.) are all delicately painted with poems written in black characters and framed in red seal script. The nianhao (Imperial mark) of Yongzheng is inscribed in a square on the base of the object, usually in blue, mauve or yellow ink.

Yongzheng Imperial marks in kaishu (left) and zhuanshu (right)

Da Qing Yongzheng Nian Zhi, translating as ˜Made in the Great Qing dynasty during the reign of the Emperor Yongzheng”(1723-1735).

MARK ON THE COFFEE POT
As the museum only show one side and top view of the coffee pot, there is a possibility of an imperial mark or even poem on the unseen part. The imperial mark of YongZheng night be found at the bottom of the coffee pot and written in either kaishu or zhuanshu. Also, if there is a poem on the other side, that means that the coffee pot was considered as one of the best pieces produced.

Guyuexuan porcelain bowl with characteristic black script and red seal markings.

ADDITIONAL VISUAL OBSERVATIONS

The top half of the pot is having Chinese elements while the bottom half has European element. The Rococo style use the colour of gold with some consideration in mind, in this coffee pot the colour of gold is only used at the top half, where the Chinese elements are on.  Is it meant for some relationship between China and Europe to be implied? Is the Chinese implicitly saying that they are of higher position (literally) and are better (gold) than the European?

[Additional information on the Golden Peasant]
FACTS

The following part is shared as it was my first time knowing the existence of golden pheasant, and I am fascinated and would like to share a bit more on this animal.

  • Early records indicate the Golden pheasant was imported from China to England and Europe around 1735.
  • Adult males may grow 90-105cm in length, with the tail being approximately two-thirds of its total body length.
  • The golden crest, rump and rich red body make it unmistakable; few birds look this exotic. The crest of the male is golden-yellow with a hint of red at the tip.
  • The Golden Pheasant feeds on the ground on grain, berries, leaves, grubs, small insects and other vegetation.
  • They roost in trees at night.
  • They are fast on the ground and prefer to run rather than fly, but if startled they can suddenly fly upwards with a distinctive whirring of wings.
Golden Pheasant at Melbourne Zoo Symbolic in Chinese Art & Culture
Golden pheasant.

Previous part: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE VISUALS OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT
Next part: CONCLUSION

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

DD3006_10_Contextual Analysis: Colour

Project 2 Zine: Final, Team 6 Final Project, , , , ,

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE COLOUR OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

  • PORCELAIN DURING EMPEROR YONGZHENG RULING
    • FAMILLE ROSE
    • TECHNIQUE
    • INFLUENCE
    • POPULARITY
    • BEAUTY THEORY
    • COLOUR COMPARISON WITH OTHER PERIOD
  • ANALYSIS ON THE COLOUR OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

The coffee pot was made during the reign of Qing Dynasty under Emperor Yongzheng (1723-1735). Under his ruling, the colour of Famille Rose of Chinese Porcelain was developed. It was a highly demanded colour that became more popular than the blue white ceramic.

PORCELAIN DURING EMPEROR YONGZHENG RULING

Famille rose porcelain vase of yangcai ware, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng reign (1722–35); in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

YONGZHENG 1723 – 1735 Chinese Taste Porcelain.

Chinese octagonal famille rose dish, Yongzheng (1 Ref: X337
Chinese octagonal famille rose dish, Yongzheng (1723-35), diameter: 11 13/16 in. 30cm. National Trust, Tyntesfield, North Somerset, Collection; NT 28247.

To begin with the analysis of the colour of the Chinese Coffee Pot, I will begin  the analysis by assess the Chinese porcelain supplied during the period around 1735. As tastes and ethos of China has always adapted its ceramics industry to fit the needs of it clients who ever they may be, it was during this period that the Chinese became especially interested in Western technology and science. Famille Rose enamels were developed as a consequence of this interaction. The impetus for the development of this new palette was the direct involvement previous emperor Kangxi (1662-1722) who desired to improve expertise in the manufacture of all crafts, especially in relation to learning about technology from abroad. Therefore, his fourth son, Emperor YongZheng appointed Nian Xiyao as administrator of Jingdezhen, who also personally supervised the manufacture of the porcelain destined for the Imperial Court. Under the ruling, the production of blue and white wares decreased and a new style called famille Rose, described as ‘flowery’ emerged to be the dominant palette in overglaze decoration.

FAMILLE ROSE
Described as ‘flowery’, it was a new colour palette of the era of Chinese porcelain. It takes the name from a rose-colored enamel (gold chloride) which makes up a characteristic colour in the palette. Other significant colours in the palette are opaque yellow and opaque white. The majority of the enamels is opaque or semi-opaque and does not flow when being fired, could be fired at a lower temperature and had a wider colour range. As a result, it appeared softer, gentler and more feminine. The pink enamel characteristic of this ware is a precipitate of gold that appeared in China about 1720, having been discovered by Andre Cassius of Leyden about 1670. This opaque pink, called “purple of Cassius” is found together with blue, pale green, yellow and mauve enamels.

TECHNIQUE 
They were created from white porcelain clay that was first covered with an opaque white glaze before being fired at a very high temperature. The decorative motifs were then applied to the glazed bodies using brightly colored, famille-rose enamel pigments that were fixed to the vases by a second firing at a much lower temperature. The rose colour that gives its name to this colour scheme is created from colloidal gold (a suspension or colloid of sub-micrometre-sized particles of gold in a fluid). This ruby red colour was augmented by two other newly introduced coloured enamels, an opaque white which was made from fine crystals of lead arsenate, the other new colouring agent was lead stannate used for the opaque yellow. These colours, while new to China, were certainly not new to Europe but the effect of them on porcelain certainly was new. It was also used for Chinese taste or domestic market porcelain, but was also used to decorate a vast array of Chinese export porcelain of all shapes and sizes. Typically the earlier enamels in this palette was applied with glue as its base which helped with building thick layers of enamels, while later versions are applied with the use of rue oil as a medium, which gives thinner layers.

INFLUENCE
During the Qing dynasty, Western art influenced China primarily through the Jesuit missionaries who served in the imperial court. Western missionaries had first arrived in China in the sixteenth century to teach Christianity, but after they were forbidden to proselytize their religion, they instead taught the Chinese about Western science, mathematics, art, and philosophy. The palette seems to have been developed with influence from European taste and demand and with technology imported via Jesuits working within the Imperial palace in Beijing. At the same time, In Europe and foremost France, the emerging rococo fashion, being an important export market also called for softer colours in the decorations.

POPULARITY
Many Famille Rose patterns were exported to Europe, and the fanciers of China there often refined and redesigned these patterns and sent these designs back to China for production. Thus, while many of the Famille Rose patterns are wholly of Chinese origin, others have roots that intermingle with European designs and ideas.  

BEAUTY THEORY
They often have an elaborate arrangement of minutely delineated border patterns around the central subject (usually pretty women), demonstrating the new, and later widespread, idea that the beauty of an object is directly proportional to the amount of decoration on it. This theory was to be one of the causes of the degeneration of later Chinese and Japanese wares; it was, however, by no means confined to Asia and can be seen in most 19th-century European porcelain.

ANALYSIS ON THE COLOUR OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

Coffee pot. China, around 1735.

Analysing the colour of the pot was quite interesting. It is true that the colour of the Chinese Coffee Pot is under the trend of the newly invented Famille Rose under the ruling of Emperor YongZheng. Simply put, I can say that the colour of the Chinese Coffee Pot is following the family colour of the supply in China at that moment. It might be caused of the lower production cost when colouring is done in mass and shared between a lot of porcelain (rather than customising it for every piece). Therefore, even though the palette is considered to be softer and more feminine, it does not necessarily means that the Chinese Coffee Pot was made targeted to women market based on its colour as everything else was made with Famille Rose as well.

At the same time, the choice to learn, develop and apply the new colour might be a step taken to level up the competition of porcelain market in the Europe. The demand for porcelain might have became saturated before (due to the long lasting demanded blue-white porcelain), therefore there was the need to make the newly innovative colour that give European more options and choice. Also, due to the unique colour of Famille Rose, the Chinese Coffee Pot might  also be bringing the ‘new Chinese’ to the Europe.

[Additional Information on Porcelain Colour Palette]
COLOR COMPARISON

When I first see the colour of the object, I didn’t know that the colour palette was popular as I  was not really familiar with it before. Proceed to research more, I found out that there are different palette throughout different period of Chinese porcelain timeline. Another thing new was that to know that apparently those colour palette affect the value of porcelain artefact and especially the ruling period that can be seen from the imperial mark. To share more on this, interesting fact was that the Famille Rose was not the only porcelain colour made of the mix between ‘China’ and ‘Europe’, the previous ruling period had started to developed it and the palette was name Famille Verte, and the following ruling period developed it even further and came with another version of Famille Rose. I also find that this kind of ‘colour transfer’ is something that show the interconnected good relation between Chinese and European.

With the palette before

Kangxi (1662-1722) YongZheng (1723-1735)
Famille Verte Famille Rose
Influenced by Chinese in style like Chinese prints and paintings of the Kangxi era Influenced by flowery export style based on the emerging Rococo style in Europe
Clear (translucent) enamels were used Thicker impasto opaque enamels due to the mixing with white opaque enamels were used
Trend setter for the European market Influenced by the demand of European market

Overall, the Famille Rose became more popular than Famille Verte in the European market, even more popular than the market for the plain blue and white wares. A possible reason is that as the decorative technique used many imported materials and colours that were more familiar and closely associated for the European market compared to the older Chinese palette.

with the palette after

YongZheng (1723-1735) QianLong (1735–1796)
Famille Rose with ruancai (soft colors) Famille Rose with yangcai (foreign colors)
Also known as fencai (powder colours): famille rose against a white ground Also known as falangcai: famille rose against a coloured ground
Painted only on a white transparent porcelain glaze  Painted on coloured backgrounds such as yellow, blue, pink, coral red, light green, ‘cafe au lait’, Batavia) brown, etc
Details of the decoration was boneless Details of the decoration was filled in within outlines with increasingly more complex designs

Next part: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE VISUALS OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT
Previous part: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE FORM, STYLE AND SHAPE OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

DD3006_10_Contextual Analysis: Form, Style, Shape

Team 6 Final Project, , , , , , ,

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE FORM, STYLE AND SHAPE OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

  • FORM OF COFFEE POT
    • EVOLUTION OF COFFEE POT AND COFFEE GRINDER IN 1700-1800
    • HOW THE EVOLUTION OF COFFEE POT AFFECTED THE FORM OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT
  • STYLE AND SHAPE
    • ROCOCO
    • DECORATIVE ARTS
    • ELEMENTS
    • ROCOCO COFFEE POTS MADE IN EUROPE
    • HOW ROCOCO INFLUENCED THE SHAPE OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

FORM OF COFFEE POT

In this section, the form is defined to be physical shape or the coffee pot and the context will be used to analyse on the 3D shape of the Chinese coffee pot, not including the 2D element such as the painting and the colour. I will begin by summarising the timeline of the change of a coffee pot itself and from there, the element of form that is applied on the Chinese Coffee Pot will be emphasised as well.

EVOLUTION OF COFFEE POT AND COFFEE GRINDER IN 1700-1800

  • In 1672, Silver coffee pots were first used by Pascal at St. Germain’s fair in Paris. From this point onwards, English and American silversmiths began to create the most amazing forms of silver coffee pots. The oriental serving pot was nearly always made of metal, tall, and, in old models, of graceful curve, with a slightly twisted ornamental beak in the form of an S, attached below the middle of the vessel. A handle ornamented in the same way formed a decorative balance.
  • In 1692, the lantern straight-line coffee serving pot with true cone lid, thumb-piece, and handle fixed at right angle to the spout, was introduced into England, succeeding the curved oriental serving pot.
  • At the beginning of the 18th Century the consumption of coffee (as well as other beverages including tea and chocolate) escalated in popularity, resulting in the mass manufacture of coffee pots. Because of this surge of popularity, the 1700s saw the dawn of beautiful coffee pots. At this period, silver, gold, and delicate porcelain serving pots were the vogue among European royalty.
  • In 1700, coffee pots made of cheaper metals, like tin and Britannia ware, began to appear on the home tables of the people.
  • In 1701, silver coffee pots appeared in England having perfect domes and bodies less tapering.
  • In 1704, Bull’s machine for roasting coffee was patented in England. This probably marks the first use of coal for commercial roasting. Soon after this, coffee pots began to be crafted in a tapered cylinder shape with a high domed cover. The spout was placed low on the body, along with the classic right angled handle.
  • Circa 1710, octagonal designs were introduced. This style encompassed a flatter wider base, along with a top in the tear-shaped drop form. A
  • By 1714, the thumb-piece on English serving pots had disappeared, and the handle was no longer set at a right angle to the spout. The spouts on pots were placed on the opposite side of the handle.
  • In 1720, coffee grinders were so common in France that they were to be had for a dollar and twenty cents each. Their development by the French had been rapid from the original spice grinder. 
  • In the 1730s, the incurved base of the coffee pot became standard along with the plain tapered form.
  • Around the 1740s, the pear shaped coffee pot came into fashion and prevailed until the 1760s. These jugs tended to sport shorter spouts than the previous type. This design is likely to have been originally intended for Turkish coffee which was of a much thicker consistency.
  • During the Rococo(or ˜late baroque”) era the popular style of coffee pot changed yet again. The pots became massive and even more impressive, in a more ornate style. Festoons also became a prominent ornament. 
  • By the 1780s, filters were added to coffee pots in the form of a cloth or sock placed over the mouth.
  • In 1840, the Napier vacuum coffee machine came in to the game.
  • In 1908, the first drip coffee maker was introduced thus began the demise of the coffee pot.

HOW THE EVOLUTION OF COFFEE POT AFFECTED THE FORM OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

Coffee pot. China, around 1735.

From the timeline, we can see how in the decade, there are many innovation and new ideas about the element and shape of the coffee pot in the world. The Chinese Coffee Pot has many physical forms being taken and adapted form the different timing during the century. It all started as the porcelain coffee pot become the vogue among European royalty.

Some basic elements of the Chinese Coffee Pot is following the old convention that has been around for the form of coffee pot before 1735. They include the tear-shape drop form for the knob (around 1710) at the top of the lid, the spouts that is place directly opposite side of the handle (by 1714) as well as the incurved base that was the standard of coffee pots in the 1930s.

Tear-shape drop knob form of the Chinese Coffee Pot.

Generally, it has pear-shaped body that was in fashion in the 1740s in which it also has shorter spouts. As the Chinese Coffee Pot was made around 1735, it means that the shape of the pot was up to the latest trend during the period. It supports the fact that

Not only the form was made to keep up with the latest design, there is some thing that bothered me as based on the timeline, the thumb-piece on English serving pots had disappeared by 1714 while the Chinese Coffee Pot was still made with it. A possibility is that England (and its colonies) might not be the main export market for porcelain during the YongZheng era. Or another possibility is that if England was a market for Chinese porcelain, that the thumb-piece was still made in order to make it stood out of competitors due to its unique and unusual element in the English market.  Either way, it seems that the  industry of coffee pot porcelain was versatile during the time and the competition might be high and therefore following and adapting to the trend of form of coffee pot might have a been an important and carefully-considered strategy when the Chinese Coffee Pot was made to remain competitive. 

The lady head on the Chinese Coffee Pot. 

STYLE AND SHAPE

During the YongZheng era, many porcelains were influenced by the European style. Especially for the Chinese Coffee Pot, the style and movement that influenced it the most was the Rococo. Therefore, I would like to begin by introducing a little bit about Rococo.

ROCOCO
Rococo describes a type of art and architecture that began in France in the mid-1700s (about 1730-1770). It is characterised by delicate but substantial ornamentation as  a highly ornamental style of art, furniture, and interior design became popular in France. It  takes its name from the French rocaille (pronounced ‘rock-eye’), which means the rock or broken shell motifs that often formed part of the designs. Characterised by profuse, often semiabstract ornamentation and lightness of colour and weight.

DECORATIVE ARTS
Patrons of the arts were not exclusively royalty and aristocrats, so artists and craftsmen were able to market to a wider audience of middle-class consumers. Scale was downsized, paintings were sized for salons and art dealers instead of palace galleries and elegance was measured in small, practical objects like chandeliers and soup tureens. Clocks, picture frames, mirrors, mantel pieces, and candlesticks were some of the useful objects beautified to become known collectively as “decorative arts.”

ELEMENTS

  • Natural motifs. Are a featured in Rococo, patterns were intricate and details delicate.
  • Elaborate carved forms. As a style developed by craftspeople and designers rather than architects, there was importance of hand-worked decoration in Rococo design.
  • Asymmetry. Rococo design is often not symmetrical as shapes were complex.
  • S and C scrolls. Curved forms which resemble the letters S and C are common in Rococo.
  • Rocaille. Refers to rocks, shells, and the shell-shaped ornaments used on fountains and the decorative arts of the time. Taking various forms, it can look like a piece of frilly carving, some form of water or eroded rock.
  • Acanthus leaf (Acanthus mollis) is one of the basic motifs of Rococo design, it used the stylised version of which did not really look like the real leaf shape.
  • Colors ar often light and pastel, with a bold splash of brightness and light. Also, the application of gold was purposeful.

ROCOCO COFFEE POTS MADE IN EUROPE
To give a clearer idea on how the style would affect a coffee pot in the Rococo period, follow are some coffee pots made in Europe that is influenced by Rococo.

Coffee pot. Bow Porcelain Factory. About 1760-1765. Phosphatic soft-paste porcelain, moulded, and painted in enamels, with traces of gilding.

Charles Wright. London 1769.

Taking the two coffee pots, there is a certain feeling that is invoked. If I have to describe it on my own word, it would be an ‘ever-flowing intricately detailed object with complex elements’. Even though the material, colour and details of them are different, one can clearly see that they are related from the 3D form itself. The idea of detailed acanthus leaves coming out from the basic form at different spots, the presence of S and C curves throughout and the asymmetry of both are applications of Rococo.

HOW ROCOCO INFLUENCED THE SHAPE OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT
I will try to assess how far the shape of Chinese Coffee Pos has been influenced and list out the elements that might be considered to be influenced by Rococo. (The analysis in this part will focus on the 3D shape and further analysis on the 2D elements will be shared on the next section.

  • Natural motifs: this elements are not really applicable in the 3D form of the Chinese Coffee Pot as the surface of the porcelain seems smooth. However, it is applied via the painting on the porcelain.
  • Elaborate carved forms: it is applicable in the Chinese Coffee Pot as seen from the carving of a lady head at the top of the handle. The small size and details might have shown the delicate hand-work decoration prominent in Rococo.

    The lady head on the Chinese Coffee Pot.
  • S and C scrolls: this elements are found in the Chinese Coffee Pot

    Some C scrolls  on the Chinese Coffee Pot. 

    S scroll  on the Chinese Coffee Pot.
    S scroll  on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

     
  • Rocaille: It is not really seen in the 3D form of the Chinese Coffee Pot but more in the 2D painting itself.
  • Acanthus leaf (Acanthus mollis): I am not really sure on this one but this part might have been intended to be in a shape of acanthus leaf shaped in the 3D form.

    Acanthus leaf on the Chinese Coffee Pot.

After the analysis, it is evident for me to say that Rococo has influenced the shape of the Chinese Coffee Pot to a certain extent. It is not into a very elaborate and detailed like the one made in the Europe as the surface of the pot can be considered to be smooth, but it incorporated small details of Rococo elements. Therefore, I would say that even though the pot was influenced by Rococo and made for the demand of Europe, the Chinese still keep the basic essence of the Chinese porcelain (texture and painting) while adapting some parts into shapes that are relatable more relatable to Rococo in the shape way.

[Additional information on form of coffee pot]
EARLY GRINDERS, ROASTERS AND POTS OF COFFEE

During my research, I found these images interesting and therefore would like to share some here. It really show how within the not so long (about 2 century) time period, there are so many improvement and changes in apparatus related to coffee making. It really support that a drink of coffee has been known for a long time and continuously being developed by people form different regions time to time.

Belgian, Russian, and French Pewter Serving Pots
Belgian, Russian, and French Pewter Serving Pots. These are in the Metropolitan Museum and are of nineteenth century design.
Pewter Pots of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Pewter Pots of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Left to right, they are German, Flemish, English, and Dutch specimens in the Metropolitan Museum.
Bronze and Brass Mortars of the Seventeenth Century Used for Making Coffee Powder
Bronze and Brass Mortars of the Seventeenth Century Used for Making Coffee Powder. Left, bronze (Germany)—Center, brass (England)—Right, bronze (Holland, 1632).
Roasting, Making, and Serving Devices
Roasting, Making, and Serving Devices. Early seventeenth century, as pictured by Dufour.
Early American Coffee Roasters
Early American Coffee Roasters. Both the cast-iron spiders and the long-handled roasters were used in open fireplaces previous to 1770.

 

Early French Wall and Table Grinders
Early French Wall and Table Grinders. Left, seventeenth-century coffee grinder in the Musée de la Porte de Hal—Center, wall mill, eighteenth century—Right, iron mill, eighteenth century.
Patent Drawings of Early French Coffee Makers
Patent Drawings of Early French Coffee Makers. Left, drip pot of 1806—Next two, Durant’s inner-tube pot, 1827—Next (fourth), Gandais’ first practicable percolator, 1827—Right, Grandin & Crepeaux’ percolator, 1832.

BREWING COFFEE
As I wonder how the old coffee was made and how the coffee pots were actually being used, I came across this information which describe one of the method. I find it interesting to know.

Humphrey Broadbent, “the London coffee man” who wrote a treatise on the True Way of Preparing and Making Coffee, wrote in 1722 the following infusion method procedure:
“Put the quantity of powder you intend, into your pot (which should be either of stone, or silver, being much better than tin or copper, which takes from it much of its flavour and goodness) then pour boiling-hot water upon the aforesaid powder, and let it stand to infuse five minutes before the fire. This is an excellent way, and far exceeds the common one of boiling, but whether you prepare it by boiling or this way, it will sometimes remain thick and troubled, after it is made, except you pour in a spoonful or two of cold water, which immediately precipitates the more heavy parts at the bottom, and makes it clear enough for drinking.”

Next part: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE COLOUR OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT
Previous part: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON HOW COFFEE DRINKING AFFECTED THE DEMAND OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

DD3006_10_Contextual Analysis: Coffee Drinking

Team 6 Final Project, , , , , ,

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON HOW COFFEE DRINKING AFFECTED THE DEMAND OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT

  • HISTORY OF COFFEE DRINKING
    • EARLY DOCUMENTATION OF COFFEE PLANT
    • COFFEE DRINKING IN EUROPE
      • REASONS FOR POPULARITY
      • COFFEEHOUSE
      • ROLE OF COFFEEHOUSES
    • COFFEE DRINKING IN CHINA

HISTORY OF COFFEE DRINKING

Firstly, to begin my contextual analysis I will analyse from the general idea of a coffee pot into the details of its element. So I would start with a story of the invention of coffee. “Ethiopia is generally considered the birthplace of coffee. More than a thousand years ago, the story goes, a goat farmer named Kaldi noticed his herd dancing one day after gnawing on the red berries hanging from the bushes ringing the pastures. Tired himself one day, he decided to try the stuff. He perked up and started skipping along with his goats. Soon Kaldi made the berries part of his daily diet. One day, a monk from a nearby monastery spotted the farmer dancing with his goats. He, too, wanted some of that energy, not to shimmy but to stay up and study. Soon a fellow monk came up with the idea of boiling the beans and drinking the hot brew before lengthy religious services. News of coffee’s kick spread, and more and more monks throughout the African kingdom started drinking it to extend their devotion time.”

EARLY DOCUMENTATION OF COFFEE PLANT
As we learn about how plant is being documented throughout the history, the earliest pictorial representation of coffee plant was first found in John Parkinson’s Theatrum Botanicum (1640). In the last section, he devoted to ‘‘strange and rare plants,’’ on ‘‘the Turkes berry drinke,’’ coffee. His account was based on previous writings on the plant by Rauwolf, by Prosper Alpinus, a Venetian botanist, and by Paldanus’s commentaries on the English translation of the Dutch traveler Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s narrative of his observations in the East Indies. This image would soon find itself repeated in numerous later natural histories of coffee.

Coffee, the ‘‘Turkes Berry Drink’’ (1640). This was the first illustration of the coffee plant in an English text. Engraved woodcut in Parkinson, Theatrum Botanicum (1640), 1623; Beinecke shelfmark Si8 0185. Courtesy of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Figure 2. Coffee tree and coffee grinder (1685). Engraved woodcut in Dufour, Manner of Making of Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate (1685), 9; Beinecke shelfmark UvL12 C6 685. Courtesy of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

COFFEE DRINKING IN EUROPE
As the Chinese Coffee Pot was made for the market of Europe, I would like to analyse how the coffee was introduced there. Coffee and coffeehouses did not have a foothold in Europe until the second half of the seventeenth century, although Europeans, as is evident in travel accounts and medical treatises, had certainly been aware of this hot and exotic drink with a bitter taste, the rituals that surround it and the coffeehouses where it was primarily consumed since at least the late sixteenth century. Italian merchants introduced coffee beans to southern Europe in the early seventeenth century. By the early eighteenth century, coffee was known everywhere and there was hardly any big town across Europe without at least one coffeehouse. By 1734, 551 licensed coffeehouses in addition to a significant number of unlicensed ones had carved out an alternative place of public sociability in London. By the nineteenth century, coffee had established itself as the most prominent drink, dwarfing its past and recent rivals such as chocolate and tea, respectively, and the coffeehouse as the most ubiquitous place of sociability in large parts of Europe and the Middle East. Seeing the growing demand of coffee consumption, it can be said that the demand for coffee during the period of the Chinese Porcelain Pot (around 1735) was highly increasing in the Europe.

REASON FOR POPULARITY
The reason behind is part of a larger question of the diffusion and assimilation of foreign exotic ‘soft drugs’ such as tobacco, chocolate and tea in the early modern world in the age of early globalisation. Historians have now largely moved away from the biological essentialism that emphasises the tastiness of chocolate, addictiveness of tobacco and the medicinal properties of coffee or the economic determinism that highlights increasing commercialisation in the age of mercantilism as the primary cause for the diffusion and appropriation of these substances, toward cultural functionalism that gives primacy to the social context in which they were appropriated by local cultures.

COFFEEHOUSE
The popularity of coffee house made me want to research more into it. And follow are some paintings of the European coffeehouses in 1800s.

Anon., ‘‘Interior of a Coffeehouse’’ (c. 1700), inscribed in brown ink: ‘‘A.S. 1668’’ (believed to be false) (147 — 220 cm); British Museum, Department of Prints and Drawings (Anon. English, dated c. 1705), body color [1931–6–13–2], British Roy PIIIa. Courtesy of the British Museum, London.
Engraving in [Edward Ward], Fourth Part of Vulgus Brittanicus: or, the British Hudibras (London: James Woodward, 1710), BL 11631.d, (3.75 — 5.75 in.). Courtesy of the British Library, London.

The Coffeehouse Politicians. c 1733. Courtesy of the British Museum, London.

ROLE OF COFFEEHOUSES
After some research, the coffeehouse can be portrayed in two opposing point of view. One as a site for polite conversation as well as the quiet contemplation of the daily news or the latest political pamphlet. Another is where violent clashes of this sort were familiar in late seventeenth and early eighteenth-century coffeehouses.

The danger of coffeehouses can be shown implicitly and explicitly. Implicitly, it includes lies, rumors, and frivolous time-wasting within the polite coffeehouse conversation. While, explicitly is that coffeehouse civility might easily dissolve into mob violence. They were also well-founded fears and the coffeehouses were indeed a primary venue for the distribution of false rumors, seditious libels, and political organizing.

Analysing the coffeehouses images in the era, I realise that there is some kind of gender segregation. All the patrons of the coffeehouse are men. Through research, it was not that women were prohibited from entering any coffeehouse, it just that the activities commonly associated with coffeehouse society were considered to be traditionally masculine activities or responsibilities. Here the coffeehouse was promoted as a venue for male sociability that complemented.

Even though, there is a woman behind the bar and a boy as the server. It is as if implied that the role of women and children are less important than the men and that coffeehouse belongs for men. Does it mean that the demand of coffee pot is higher for men as the consumers are mostly men? How about the Chinese Coffee pot that seems to be feminine and made for women? Maybe, its export to Europe was not made for coffeeshops and was made for more either personal use or simply targeted at women.

COFFEE DRINKING IN CHINA
China’s first encounter with coffee occurred in the late 1800s, when a French missionary introduced it in Yunnan province, in the southwest of the country. The Chinese initially showed little interest in this drink favored by Westerners, except in places like the Western influenced city of Shanghai. But a hundred years after its first introduction to China, especially since the reform and opening up in 1980s, coffee became a popular drink in China.

Even though the coffee was a hype in Europe in the 1800s, apparently it was not really a thing in China. An interesting piece showing the exquisite drinks in the 1800s was made where the Arabian man drinks coffee, Chinese man drinks tea and the Indian man drinks chocolate.

Frontispiece from Dufour’s work. Arab Drinking Coffee; Chinaman, Tea; and Indian, Chocolate

In that way, even though the planting of coffee in China has been high, the consumption of it was not in demand in 1800s. Hence, the Chinese Coffee Pot was really made for European market demand in which it is likely that the making and consideration of the porcelain was not based on for local consumption but really to fulfil the European demand.

Next part: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON THE FORM, STYLE AND SHAPE OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT
Previous part: INTRODUCTION

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

DD3006_10_Contextual Analysis: Introduction

Team 6 Final Project, ,

Hi! My object is the following coffee pot:

Name: Coffee Pot
Date/Period: Qing Dynasty (Yongzheng period, 1723-1735), ca 1735
Region: China
Dimension: Gross Measurement: 31.5 x 20 x 13 cm
Accession No.: 2015-00200
Material: Porcelain with overglaze enamels and gold
Collection of: Asian Civilisations Museum
Category: Ceramics

Coffee became popular in Europe around the mid-17th century, which spurred demand for coffee-specific equipment. Pots like this were usually made as part of a set, similar to the already popular tea services. Chinese porcelain makers were quick to fulfill European demand. The decoration on the pot is painted in overglaze enamels. Unlike teapots, which have spouts close to the base, coffee pots have a short spout at the top. This is because tea leaves float while coffee grounds settle at the bottom. The short, high spout kept the sediment from coming out when pouring.

My contextual analysis of the object is summarised in the following table of content (title are clickable). Throughout the analysis, to make it easier for reference, I will refer to my object as “Chinese Coffee Pot”.

Next part: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS ON HOW COFFEE DRINKING AFFECTED THE DEMAND OF THE CHINESE COFFEE POT