ABSTRACT
Studying blanc de Chine ware is at once gratifying as well as frustrating. Gratifying because not only is the highly artistic porcelain attractive to view and touch; but also because the ware is one of the earliest ceramic traditions to be associated with artists in China.' A blessing to researchers, blanc de Chine is free from the usual entanglements of identification and provenance. The ware is very recognisable, and Dehua county in Fujian has always been its home. Besides, researchers interested in trade and cross-cultural impacts are fortunate in that many good examples and records of blanc de Chine survive in the West. Yet, at the same time, researchers are frustrated because for centuries blanc de Chine potters tended to repeat a small range of successful designs, causing great difficulty in dating as well as in studying its industry's growth. The most disappointing factor is the lack of good records regarding blanc de Chine potter-artists, technology, and the workshops of this world famous ware.
