Verdex
Verdex
4 November 2022, 00:06

Porcelain plates from the collection of John Addis

Porcelain plates from the collection of John Addis
Sir John Addis is a British diplomat who, while serving as ambassador to China and the Philippines in the 60s and 70s of the last century, collected a collection of Asian porcelain. Many of the items included in the collection date back to the Ming Dynasty, some of them are presented below. Addis collected his collection during the second half of the 20th century, wrote a number of articles on porcelain, and after leaving the diplomatic service became a senior fellow at Wolfson College (Oxford). In 1975, he donated part of his collection to the British Museum; other items came to the museum after his death.

First we look at the kraak plate from Jingdezhen, made in the 16th-17th centuries. Ware of this type was exported to Europe, archaeologists still find it among the wreckage of sunken merchant ships. The products got their name in honor of the ships of the karakka type, which transported porcelain. In the center of the plate, two deer are depicted against a landscape and surrounded by eight panels with chrysanthemums, peonies, butterflies and fans.
The next plate is made in the shape of an open lotus. In the very center we see a Sanskrit ligature (letters connected into a single whole) with an unclear meaning. On the outer side of the "petals" are also depicted symbols that together can form a mantra.
The artist who decorated the next plate turned to the traditional "Three Friends of Winter" motif. In the center of the object, bamboo, pine and plum are depicted, which do not wither immediately with the arrival of cold weather. The theme was taken up by artists from other Asian cultures. Plants symbolize resilience, steadfastness and perseverance. The first mention of this trio of plants is found in the poetry of the 9th century, and the term "Three Friends of Winter" can be found in the collection "Clear Mountain" by the poet Lin Jingxi.
Let's not bypass the dragons popular in Chinese culture. This plate depicts feiyu - dragon-fish flying among the clouds: these fabulous creatures have large membranous wings and fins. According to legend, one of these dragons saved the drowning scientist and carried him to heaven, where he became a star.

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