A Thousand Auspicious Meanings: Chinese Porcelain Teapots from the Sapientia Collection for the Domestic Market (Volumes I & II) (English Edition) de Ngai, Pauline - 2022

Jorge Welsh Research & Publishing, Lisbon/London, 2022 Book. New. Hardcover. 1st Edition. English text; Hardcover in slipcase (2 VOLUMES); 594 pages, 626 colour illustrations and 2 black & white illustrations; 312 colour illustrations; 23,5 x 29,7 cm; 4.4 kg; Volume One - Introduction: Teapots for the Domestic Market; Volume Two - Teapots for the Domestic Market.; This two-volume book focuses on the artistic, cultural, and historical motifs of Chinese porcelain teapots made for the domestic market, and will ultimately be part of a four-volume set, the third and fourth volumes to be dedicated to teapots made for the export market. The collection was started by Franco Cutrupia in 1981, who, soon after arriving in China, became fascinated by the beauty, variety of shapes, and decorative motifs of Chinese porcelain teapots. Later he was joined in his passion for Chinese porcelain by his wife, Pauline Ngai, a Chinese history major and author of this book. The book examines the auspicious motifs that appear in Chinese porcelain decoration, explored through those found on the teapots from the Sapientia Collection. Through the study of these motifs, the author opens up a fascinating insight into Chinese culture and the interpretation of the meanings and significance of each motif. It goes much further than simply cataloguing a collection, exploring deep into Chinese culture and its long and intricate history. The first volume offers a comprehensive introduction, providing a wide perspective on the development and production of containers for a variety of drinking liquids and later teapots, from the Neolithic era through to the 1980's. The second volume discusses 193 of the Sapientia Collection of porcelain teapots, made for the domestic market, covering a period from the 18th to the 20th century. The author, Pauline Ngai, deciphers each motif, their embodied stories, auspicious meanings, and symbols, transforming these treasured objects into sources from which to better understand Chinese culture and history. This book, the result of many years of original research, is a serious reference work and encyclopaedic in interpreting those scenes and auspicious symbols originally intended for the Chinese public. As such it is a valuable resource for all those studying or interested in the subject..