Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration: Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain

Co-published by Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art and School of Oriental & African Studies, 1992 Book. Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. English text; Hardover (with dust jacket); 24.2 x 31.4 cm; 1.253 Kg; 176 pages with various colour illustrations; Used book with sign of wear on the dust jacket and interior. Previous owner sticker glued to the front free endpaper, that also show a wear mark at the middle of the page. The dust jacket is now protected with a clearcover. ; Joint exhibition from the Collections of the Percival David Foundation and CP Lin; “The year 1992 is very significant for the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. Not only does it mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Percival David, but it was also 40 years ago on 10th June 1952 that the Foundation opened to the public. We are celebrating these anniversaries in two ways. In view of all recent archaeological discoveries made at the site of the Imperial kiln at Jingdezhen, we are holding a colloquy on the subject of the Porcelains of Jingdezhen. We are also mounting the current exhibition Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration – Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelains, in the Foundation’s Lady David Gallery. We are particularly grateful to Mr C P Lin for his great generosity in lending so many of his own beautiful and rare pieces to this exhibition. It seems entirely fitting in this anniversary year that the Foundation should be mounting a joint exhibition with Mr C P Lin whose collecting is marked by a deep appreciation not only of the outstanding aesthetic qualities of Chinese porcelains, but also their great scholarly interest. This too was the approach taken by Sir Percival David, who taught himself to read the Chinese language specifically to facilitate his study of the vast body of literature written by Chinese scholars. It is significant too that the ceramic collections of both Mr C P Lin and Sir Percival David predominantly contain fine Imperial wares, and it is these porcelains reflecting as they do the tastes and interests of the Chinese court that form the major part of the current exhibition.” excerpt from the preface by M D MacWilliam, Director, School of Oriental Studies University of London, June, 1992..