Swatow wares

From SamuraiWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

Swatow wares are a style of Chinese ceramics, produced chiefly in Fujian province. Widely traded in Southeast Asia, Japan, China, and taken back to Europe by the Dutch East India Company, Swatow wares are characterized by coarse, sandy bases. Three types of enamel or glaze are most common: a blue underglaze, an enamel overglaze, and a monochrome slip.

"Swatow" refers to the port city of Shantou in Guangdong province, with which these ceramics were mistakenly associated in Western discourse. Shantou was mistakenly known as "Swatow" in Europe, deriving from an old Dutch transliteration.

References

  • Gallery labels, "Zhangzhou and related wares," British Museum.[1]