Dehua Porcelain in New Spain: Approaches to the Production of Fine Chinese Porcelains

Summary

In the viceregal society of New Spain, Chinese porcelain objects were expensive objects consumed primarily by people of high status. The white porcelain objects produced in Dehua, located in the Fujian province of China, were incorporated into the household items of palaces and mansions, as indicated by archaeological evidence from Mexico City, Acapulco, Sinaloa, and some rural sites in the Otumba Valley. The production of this fine porcelain, also known as Blanc de Chine, involved complex techniques, particularly in its firing process. This paper will present several aspects related to the manufacture of Blanc de Chine porcelain and the kilns used to fire it based on ethnoarchaeological observations performed in active porcelain production centers in Dehua, where these fine products are still made following millennial traditions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20749