往昔異鄉｜德化白瓷組 Dehua wares

作者：沐錦堂藏 Courtesy of the Mujintang Collection
創作年份：清代 Qing dynasty, 17/18th century

從十七世紀福建泉州燒造的德化白瓷與漳州青花，到今日驅動人工智慧的矽晶圓，矽從未只是科技材料，而是文明最重要的載體之一。石英、長石、高嶺土經火焰燒結為陶瓷，正如今日矽晶經精密製程成為晶片；兩者皆源於相同的物質基礎，只是承載了不同時代的人類智慧。

與漳州青花大盤之並置的是影響歐洲陶瓷深遠的德化白瓷Blanc de Chine。德化位於今福建省泉州市德化縣，地形不適合耕作，但層層山巒、貫穿全縣的河道及特殊的土壤提供了製瓷的基礎資源。德化白瓷的特點包括高溫燒製、胎釉結合程度高、整體細膩潔白，對比漳州的粗瓷意味著鐵雜質稀少。德化白瓷器型樣式甚多，除了器皿外還有文房用具及許多雕塑，為其他窯場少見。德化瓷也是貿易陶瓷的一種，特別是清代17、18世紀透過貿易商船抵達歐洲，被法國藏家稱之Blanc de chine，今日的潘通色號11-4800也是以德化瓷特殊的白色調所命名。

德化白瓷不僅輸往重商主義的海權國家如葡萄牙、西班牙、荷蘭等國外，英國對於德化陶瓷也同樣深感興趣，英國東印度公司在17世紀末到18世紀初運送進口大量的德化窯白瓷回到英國，本次展出的源自西洋造型的德化梅枝貼花巧克力杯盤組大英博物館也有收藏。

德化白瓷在歐洲常見於英國的Blenheim Palace及今日德國東部德列斯登的Zwinger Palace當中。當時的德國薩克森選帝侯（Elector of Saxony，1694年－1733年在位）奧古斯特二世（Augustus II the Strong）特別喜愛德化白瓷及其他東亞陶瓷。奧古斯特二世的德化白瓷收藏間接地影響了歐洲陶瓷，例如有德國白黃金之稱的麥森陶瓷（Meissen）以及英國的Bow Porcelain，仿製德化的作品相當多。

右下角的鼓型小蓋盒貌似德化白瓷，然而實為南宋的景德鎮青白瓷，色調與德化白瓷稍有不同，請觀者細細品味。

From Dehua Blanc de Chine and Zhangzhou wares produced in seventeenth and eighteenth century Fujian to the silicon wafers that power artificial intelligence today, silicon has never been merely a technological material; it has also served as one of civilisation’s most important material carriers. Quartz, feldspar, and Kaolin are transformed by fire into ceramics, just as crystalline silicon is processed through highly precise fabrication into semiconductor chips. Both
originate from closely related mineral foundations, yet embody the knowledge and ingenuity of different periods in human history.

Displayed alongside the large Zhangzhou underglaze blue dish are Dehua wares, a ceramic tradition that profoundly influenced European porcelain.
Dehua is located in present-day Dehua County, Quanzhou, Fujian, China. Although its mountainous landscape was not well suited to agriculture, its
ranges of hills, extensive waterways, and distinctive mineral-rich soils provided
the essential resources for ceramic production. Dehua porcelain is characterised by high-temperature firing, a closely integrated body and glaze, and a refined, luminous white appearance. In contrast to the comparatively coarse bodies of Zhangzhou export wares, its whiteness reflects the low concentration of iron and other colouring impurities in the raw materials.

Dehua potters produced an unusually broad range of forms, including vessels, scholar’s objects, devotional figures, and sculptures—less commonly found together at other kilns.

Dehua was also an important export ceramic. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, large quantities reached Europe aboard international trading vessels. French collectors came to call it Blanc de Chine, or “Chinese
white.” The designation continues to evoke the distinctive ivory white associated with Dehua porcelain; nowadays, Pantone colour 11-4800 likewise bears the name Blanc de Chine.

Dehua porcelain was exported to maritime powers such as Portugal, Spain, and
the Netherlands, while Britain also developed a strong interest in these wares. From the late seventeenth to the early eighteenth century, the British East India Company transported substantial quantities of Dehua porcelain to Britain. The Dehua chocolate cup and saucer applied with prunus branches here are derived from European vessel forms and can be compared with an example
in the collection of the British Museum.

Important European collections of Dehua porcelain were assembled at royal sites including Blenheim Palace in England and the Zwinger Palace in Dresden, now in eastern Germany. Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony from 1694 to 1733, was an especially enthusiastic collector of Dehua porcelain and other East
Asian ceramics. His collection directly contributed to the development of European porcelain production. Numerous works produced by Meissen,
celebrated as Germany’s “white gold,” as well as by Bow Porcelain in England, reveal the influence of Dehua wares and its white porcelain aesthetics.

The small drum-shaped covered box positioned at the front may appear at first glance to be Dehua blanc de Chine. It is, however, a Southern Song dynasty Jingdezhen Qingbai porcelain box dated 12/13th century. Its subtly blue-tinged
glaze differs from the warmer ivory-white tones of Dehua porcelain. Visitors are
invited to observe and appreciate the delicate distinction between the two.