Chinese Ceramics in America

The history of Chinese porcelain in America is shorter than that in the three continents-Asia, Africa and Europe. During the Ming and the early Qing dynasties, the blue-and-white porcelain in the American market was imported from Europe. The American ships did not come to Guangzhou to buy the Chinese porcelain wares until the eighteenth century. In the 49th year during Qianlong's reign (1784), the first American ship "China Queen" headed from New York for Guangzhou and shipped 962 dans of Chinese porcelain and silk. Two years later, for the second time, it came to Guangzhou to take back a mass of porcelain wares, among which were blue-and-white porcelain, a few sculptures of Avalokitesvara and stupa. Then the merchants from various cities in America came to trade in Guangzhou. In the first year of the Jiaqing era (1796), the porcelain wares shipped to America were 15 percent of the whole cargo, and in the 23rd year, the percentage increased to 24 percent. The number of the American ships in the port of Guangzhou increased to 154 in the fourteenth year (1809). The blue-and-white table wares and bottles were marked with "EHD" in English. There were also small sculptures of stupa and eagle, the Statue of Liberty and portrait of the first American president Washington in underglaze blue with decoration of gold rims.

Chinese porcelain was widely spread in other American countries. The Japanese scholar Miseki Takatoshi wrote in his "The Sea Silk Route" that from 1969-1970, two hundred and ninety-one Chinese shards were unearthed when the Mexico Municipality constructed its subway system. Among them are blue-and-white, and Wucai wares from the reign of Jiajing to that of Wanli, including the shards with the peach-shaped Chinese character "Shou" (longevity) in underglaze blue, those decorated with waterfowls in lotus ponds and long-necked phoenixes, and those marked with the auspicious characters "Fugui Jiaqi" and "Wanfu Youtong" on their bases. In 1822 when Brazil announced its independence, some patriots presented the first king-King Piro the First-a set of porcelain wares decorated with the royal symbol of the leaves of tobacco and coffee and the English words "Long live the independence of Brazil".

Chinese Ceramics in Asia
Chinese Ceramics on the Seabed