Porcelain on Display Decorative and other Uses of Oriental Porcelain in Europe

ABSTRACTChinese porcelain began to reach Europe in quantity in the late fifteenth century, Japanese in the mid seventeenth. Apart from a brief interlude in the mid seventeenth century, Chinese porcelain was imported until well into the nineteenth century, Japanese only until the 1740s. This porcelain was at first a rarity, to be mounted in precious-metal mounts or kept in the Cabinet of Curiosities. Soon it was to be displayed as part of the decorative effect in a room, while in some cases it became the decorative effect; the porcelain room. Porcelain was imitated in Europe and not much used until it was cheap enough. As the “China-mania” died, porcelain was kept as part of room decoration, often in the new china cupboards.