From the begging of the human history, the relation of the mankind and the ceramic ware is very close, and not only as the tableware and cooking utensil, but they diverges the use in storage and the items buried with the dead under the grave.

With this gallery, we introduce them especially focusing on the various porcelains which were invented in the 5th or  6th century in China, and explosively spread to Europe in the 18th century.

 

As the Archaeology and pottery analysis are always friends each other, between in the 17th century and the 20th century,the porcelain is something like the mirror of the times. In the economic aspect it is as the industry by the nation or businessman, and in the political aspect it is as the diplomacy of the royal family, and  in the cultural aspect it reflected the mode of the European fashion very well . For example, oriental boom in Europe from the 17th century to the 18th century, and the change of the style from the baroque to the rococo, and the neo-classic boom which started from the excavation of the Pompeii ruins and the sentimentalism from the Goethe literatures and the Egypt heat which started from the campaign to Egypt by Napoleon. And the movement of the Arts and Crafts against the excess industrial revolution, and the Japonisme which was heated by the some flourished international exhibitions on the second half of the 19th century. And even now very popular Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Jugendstil have changed the mode in turn as the architecture and the another decorative arts have achieved the various evolution and development.

 

Ceramic technology has started in China, and it has greatly influenced the innovation in the Islamic world which has developed and inherited the Greco-Roman civilization over there.

The innovation in the Europe during the Renaissance means that the civilization inherited by the Abbasid dynasty and Post -Umayyad dynasty which has built up in the Orient area such as Alexandria during the Roman period era, has taken over in the early modern European world again.  Human history has developed until today by this restless relay of the civilization.

Therefore though in this gallery the European porcelains are mainly focused on and especially in the 18th century Europe the works of the beginning period of the porcelain are very superb and wear the very unique air on them, it does never mean that the Europe is the most superior area than the other area in the world.

 

Now we will introduce the collections in the region. Through the porcelain if you can feel the thinking of the people of the each age in this gallery, it is our great pleasure.

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