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Blanc de Chine
Literally ‘white from China’, Blanc de Chine (often known as Dehua porcelain) is the name given specifically to the delicate white porcelain that was – and still is – manufactured in the kaolin-rich, south-eastern Chinese coastal town of Dehua in central Fujian province.
While white Dehua porcelain has been produced in China since the Song dynasty (960 – 1279) Blanc de Chine was the name given to the super-white, fine porcelain manufactured during the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644) and beyond by French connoisseurs as what became Blanc de Chine antiques entered the European market in big numbers during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
We are often asked how to identify Blanc de Chine and the special characteristics of Dehua porcelain is that it contains a very small amount of iron oxide which means it can be fired to shades of warm white or ivory. There are also many differences in early and late examples of Blanc de Chine. Particularly in the thickness of the body and how they transmit light, the weight and as mentioned earlier the colour of the glaze.
Pieces of the Ming era are said to have a creamy glaze and sometimes pink translucency, pieces of Blanc de Chine of the transitional period demonstrate a shade between pale yellow and pale cream and Dehua porcelain made in the nineteenth century and later usually have a clear white glaze.
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1. M5489
£POAChinese Blanc de Chine Guanyin, seated with her hands covered by long flowing robes, with her right knee raised and one foot exposed, her hair neatly tied with a jewelled lingzhi tiara beneath an upright cowl, with serene features, elongated earlobes and an urna mark on her forehead, wearing a lotus flowerhead necklace, covered in a pale cream glaze pooling in the folds, all on an oval cushion with incised herringbone pattern.
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2. M5583
£38,500Chinese Blanc de Chine figure of Guandi seated on a throne and looking to the left, his right hand holding up his belt, while his left hand rests on his knee, his long flowing robes incised with a central dragon, uncovered at the shoulder, knee and chest to reveal detailed armour, his hair tied with a cap and a headdress of the rising sun above ruyi-clouds, covered overall in a rich and even cream glaze.
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3. M5582
£38,500Chinese Blanc de Chine figure of Guanyin seated upon a Buddhist lion, with her right hand raised, her left hand holding a scroll, wearing a cowl revealing a lingzhi tiara, her robes extending over the sides of the Buddhist lion, whose head is turned to the left with elaborate curled hairwork, open mouth, stippled nose and cheeks and bushy eyebrows, his saddlecloth incised with branches of flowers amongst leaves, standing four-square on a naturalistic rockwork base, covered overall in an even creamy glaze.
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4. M5213
£32,500Large Chinese Blanc de Chine group of a standing Guanyin and attendant, the Guanyin with a serene face looking down at a scroll in her hand, while her other hand is tucked inside her long flowing robes, wearing a beaded necklace which drapes down towards her feet with her toes exposed, wearing a high cowl tucked behind a raised tiara, her hair neatly tied and incised, all beside an attendant holding a book in one hand, with his other hand draped inside his sleeve, his head also graciously turning towards her, all standing on a pierced rockwork base.
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5. R1379
£39,500Chinese Blanc de Chine Guanyin, standing on a lingzhi cloud base, wearing long robes extending to a cowl revealing a tiara containing the Buddha Amitabha, the robes covering her hands and exposing both feet, wearing a lotus necklace, covered in a rich and thick creamy glaze.
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6. M3177
£14,500Chinese Blanc de Chine Guanyin seated on a raised rockwork throne, wearing long robes extending to a cowl revealing an elaborate flowerhead tiara, wearing a jewelled necklace with three pendants, her right hand resting on her raised right knee with one foot exposed, covered in an even cream glaze.
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7. M4799
£12,000Chinese porcelain Blanc de Chine Guanyin seated with her arms and legs concealed under her robes, tied at the waist and extending to a folded cowl covering her detailed hair, with a serene expression and urna mark on her forehead, wearing a single strand necklace, covered in an even cream glaze.
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8. M5475
£12,000Chinese Blanc de Chine seated Guanyin, her right hand resting on her raised knee, the left concealed beneath long flowing robes extending to a cowl, with a ruyi-head tiara above her detailed hairwork, wearing an elaborate necklace, seated in the position of royal ease upon a herringbone pattern base, covered overall in a rich and even creamy glaze.
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9. M5638
£9,500Chinese Blanc de Chine seated figure of Guanyin on a reed mat with long flowing robes, resting her right hand on her raised right knee and holding a scroll in her left hand, the tip of her right foot exposed, wearing a lingzhi and ruyi-head jewelled necklace and a ruyi-head tiara, her hair neatly tied at the top with a hairpin, covered overall in an even, luminous pale cream glaze.
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10. M5593
£8,500Large Chinese Blanc de Chine moulded standing figure of a lady beside a high relief phoenix bird, wearing long robes tied above the waist and a wide ruyi-head collar garment, holding a flywhisk in her right hand, her hair in a high piled coiffure, all on a stylized rockwork base.
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11. R1086
£7,500Chinese Blanc de Chine “Governor Duff” group, modelled as a family in Western clothing, seated either side of a small table with a food dish, in front of a Cross of Lorraine, the family formally arranged, with a pet dog and monkey seated either side of a potted plant, the standing boy and girl holding a fan and ornament while the parents each hold a cup, all on a raised rockwork base.
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13. M2388
£12,500Chinese Blanc de Chine vase of archaic gu form, the central bulge incised with lotus flowerheads on a single continuous scrolling branch with stylised leaves, between single ribs, covered in a rich and even cream glaze extending to the interior and recessed base.
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15. M5501
£28,500Chinese Blanc de Chine incense burner with rounded side and gently flared flattened rim, with two high-relief Buddhist lion mask handles with an elaborate mane of curls, all on a slightly splayed foot and lipped footrim, covered overall in an even pale cream glaze, the footrim unglazed, the well of the interior with three spur marks from the firing.
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16. M5499
£24,500Chinese Blanc de Chine censer of bombé form, with gently flared lipped rim and splayed footrim with ribbed edge, set with Buddhist lion mask handles with curled hairwork, covered overall in a rich and even pale cream glaze, the well of the interior unglazed, the base with an impressed six-character seal mark of Xuande within a recessed rectangle.
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17. M5496
£12,500Chinese Blanc de Chine cylindrical incense burner, lian, on three bracket feet, covered overall in a rich and even cream glaze, the base unglazed.
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18. M3634
£12,500Chinese Blanc de Chine cylindrical incense burner, lian, on three bracket feet, covered overall in a rich and even pale cream glaze, the interior with a three-character ink mark, Shu Zi Tang, “Hall of Shuzi”.
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19. M5500
£32,000Chinese Blanc de Chine incense burner in the form of an archaic bronze gui, with two elephant-head ring handles, gently flared rim and splayed raised foot with ribbed edge, covered overall in an even cream glaze extending to the base, the well of the interior unglazed, the underside with a four-character impressed seal mark Ding Shui Qi Zhen, “Rare treasure of Ding Shui”.
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20. R1413
£28,500Chinese Blanc de Chine incense burner in the form of an archaic bronze gui with two mythical animal-head handles, each side applied beneath the rim with a central animal mask, taotie, dividing a band of alternating cloud roundels and flowerheads, the tall foot incised with a double-band of leiwen, key-fret above the splayed flattened footrim, covered overall in a rich and even cream glaze extending to the interior and base.
Further information on Blanc de Chine
The soft nature of the kaolin clay use to manufacture Dehua porcelain wasn’t suitable for larger objects so the potters quickly established mass-production techniques for small Blanc de Chine cups, waterdroppers and figures that feature beautifully intricate details and representations.
These small religious figures are considered by many collectors of Blanc de Chine to be the zenith of Dehua porcelain craftsmanship . Many have been produced with little or no modification for over 300 years, especially representations of Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy, widely worshipped even today. This is why precise dating can often be very difficult when asked how to identify Blanc de Chine.
Blanc de chine antiques remain highly collectible and can be found in many of the world’s finest museums and stately homes. One of the world’s largest collections of Blanc de Chine can be found at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio and there are extensive collections of Dehua porcelain in the form of Blanc de Chine lamps and other pieces at the British Museum in London, at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and an extensive collection in a purpose-built new wing in the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore.