tea bowl
Teacup
Mid-1700s, Qing Dynasty
China
Porcelain
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Bunker in memory of Lambert and Emma Wallace Cadwalader
1983.104
Usually called mocai in Chinese, porcelains painted with black enamel are similar in appearance to Chinese ink art. The technique combines a black inklike pigment with embellishment in gold and iron-red and was first developed to decorate glass and engravings in Europe in the 1600s. When it was introduced to China, Emperor Kangxi (reigned 1662-1722) became intrigued with its similarities to Chinese ink arts, and his interest prompted its use on porcelains. However, it was not an easy process. The first documented success appeared around 1729, almost seven years after Kangxi died. Soon after, Chinese-produced mocai became popular in Europe, particularly objects depicting families' coat-of-arms. Sometimes called encre de China or en grisaille, this kind of porcelain was exported to Europe in massive quantities until the late 1700s.
