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Chinese famille rose porcelain vase, Qianlong period
(1736-1795) (Koopmans-De Wet Collection).
Click image for more details
Pair of earthenware musicians, Tang dynasty (618-906) (De Pass
Collection)
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Ceramics in our collection consist mainly of Oriental, European and
Southern African ceramics, including contemporary works by local potters.
Chinese ceramics form the largest section, dating from as early as
the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220). These early ceramics belong
to the Judge R.P.B. Davis Collection, which was received as a bequest
in 1948. Besides Han ceramics, the collection also includes wares
from the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties. Articles on this collection
have been published in the Bulletin of the South African Cultural
History Museum. Chinese export ceramics are well represented and include
a variety of wares made for the export market during the seventeenth
to nineteenth centuries. Blue and white ceramics as well as polychrome
ceramics, including famille rose wares form part of the collection.
Eighteenth century armorial porcelain decorated with coats of arms
is also represented. The coats of arms are those of mainly Dutch families
who resided at the Cape. A paper on our Museum’s Chinese export
ceramic collection has been published by the National Museum of History,
Taipei, in International symposium on ancient Chinese trade ceramics:
collected papers. The collection of Japanese porcelain includes export
ware such as Imari and blue-and-white Arita ware from the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries.
English ceramics are present, dating from the eighteenth to twentieth
centuries, including some fine examples of tea and coffee ware, as
well as dinner and fruit services. Some German and French porcelain
is also represented. Eighteenth century Delft is present in the form
of tiles, garniture and tableware sets.
The South African ceramic collection includes the work of pioneering
pottery studios such as ‘Ceramic Studio’ and ‘Linn
Ware’ made during the early part of the twentieth century at
Olifantsfontein. Potters and ceramic artists who have played an important
role in the development of South African ceramics are represented
in the collection, which includes works by Esias Bosch, Hyme Rabinowitz
and Maarten Zaalberg, amongst others.
The collection is enhanced with the work of up-and-coming artists
from all over the country and a concerted effort has been made to
develop and acquire works of local African potters.
Many of the ceramic pieces are on display in all the Social History
sites. There are also many items in storage. |
