JESUIT WARE

Chinese porcelain decorated with European subject matter and made during the Ch'ing dynasty in the reign of Ch'ien-lung (173696) for export to the West. The sources for the decoration were mainly European engravings brought to China by Jesuit missionaries. The most commonly used illustrations were of Christian subjects such as the Crucifixion, though mythological subjects and, occasionally, Masonic designs were used. The designs were painted onto the white ware in black or sometimes sepia monochrome, to which thin gilding was often added. Coloured decoration is rare. Most surviving pieces date from 1730 to 1750. Despite the careful copying, the drawing can almost always be identified as Chinese; sometimes the contrast of Chinese brushwork with European subject matter creates an almost comic incongruity.