The British Museum Ceramics

Collection online showcases more than four million of the museum s objects.
The british museum ceramics. The collection consists of some 1 700 pieces of song yuan ming and qing ceramics mostly porcelain from the 10th century to the 18th high quality chinese taste song ming and qing ceramics as the british museum puts it. Lustre was an important technique across the islamic world used on glass and ceramics. The british museum holds the world s broadest collection of ming ceramics now published for the first time in its entirety. Nearly a thousand items are here illustrated identified dated and discussed incorporating the most up to date archaeological discoveries and new scientific research previously available only in chinese or specialist journals.
Explore the british museum collection and journey through two million years of human history. The percival david foundation of chinese art abbreviated as the pdf holds a collection of chinese ceramics and related items assembled by percival david that are on permanent display in a dedicated gallery in room 95 at the british museum the foundation s main purpose is to promote the study and teaching of chinese art and culture. Chinese objects have been a part of the british museum since its establishment based on the collection of sir hans sloane. The british museum s islamic collection comprises a broad and diverse spectrum of the material culture produced from the seventh century to the present day in the islamic world a series of regions stretching from west africa to southeast asia.
The british museum has one of the world s finest and most comprehensive collections of qing dynasty 1644 1911 ceramics outside the chinese speaking world. The collection is a haven for studio ceramics fans boasting the biggest and one of the most important collections of british studio ceramics in the country including iconic early works by bernard leach shoji hamada and william staite murray three of milner white s most admired potters. The foundation s main purpose is to promote the study and teaching of chinese art and culture. The publication of the museum s forthcoming book on the subject makes the complete collection available through digital photography and new scholarship.
Among the most representative objects in the collection are inscribed bronze ritual. Victoria albert museum london. Our distinguished makers are all carefully selected members of the craft potters association. From indigenous clothing and mexican skulls to necklaces made of dolphin teeth this is one of the most extensive online museum databases in the world.
Contemporary ceramics gallery and shop exhibits the greatest collectable names in british ceramics along with the most up and coming artists of today. Chinese ceramics by far the most advanced in the world were made for the imperial court the domestic market or for export.