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- Foreword
The impact of the first Chinese porcelain to be seen in the West was tremendous. In this exhibition, The Blue and White Porcelain of China, ranging over a six century period, we have the opportunity to present and to examine many of these pieces which certainly served to change the course of ceramic history internationally.
The secret of the making of porcelain was unknown in the West until ceramic artists, spurred on and challenged by this wonderful translucent material which came from the East, sought to discover the secret formula of making porcelain. Before their quest for the formula was successful, the decorative patterns and the use of the Chinese blue and white decorations was immediately incorporated into the earthenware production of Europe. The Western translations of the Oriental patterns have been well documented in the history of Western ceramics.
In presenting this exhibition, it gives us great pleasure to take a fresh look at this rich and exciting field. My thanks go to Curator, Barry Till, for the long time of planning and research for the presentation of this exhibition, and to Paula Swart of the Vancouver Museum for assisting him.
The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria would like to thank, in particular, the lenders to this exhibition. Brian McElney of Hong Kong has once again been very generous with lending objects from his collection and with sharing his knowledge. We would also like to offer special thanks to the Hongkong Bank of Canada for providing the French translation and for lending significant pieces from their recently acquired collection of Asian ceramics to this major exhibition. I would like, too, to extend our appreciation to the Royal Ontario Museum, the Vancouver Museum, and to the many private collectors for their contributions to this exhibition.
The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria also expresses its sincere thanks to the Museums Assistance Programme of the Department of Communications, Federal Government of Canada, for their financial support for the research, production and travelling portions of this exhibition. Without that assistance, it would have been impossible to undertake the research and to present the exhibition for national tour.
Patricia E. Bovey January, 1992
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