The deeply luminous, finely textured glazes of classic Chinese ceramics have long been fascinating to experts and collectors. At firing temperatures of 1300C, the ceramic body and the glaze are fused together into a new materiality of great aesthetic and emotional power. This volume, published in two language editions, illustrates this extraordinary beauty by way of the classically inspi-red works of the Royal Copenhagen stoneware studio, created between the 1930s and 1970s.
For the first time, the range of the various glaze effects is approached from the perspective of intensive, decades-long personal interaction with these objects. Chemical formulas and technical terms have been deliberately avoided.
The catalogue section has been divided into 13 parts, each dealing with one particular kind of glaze, preceded by a short introductory description. The main section is dedicated to the magical aspects of glazes. It goes into the causes of the optical and haptic effects, so too the significance of nature as a model. The decorative potential of technical deviations is also explored, as well as the formation of contrasts and, finally, the physical tension between the ceramic body and the glaze. Artists' signatures and two systems of dating codes are part of the addendum.
By:
Jörg Schwandt
Imprint: Arnoldsche
Country of Publication: Germany
Dimensions:
Height: 285mm,
Width: 245mm,
Spine: 20mm
Weight: 1.300kg
ISBN: 9783897907485
ISBN 10: 3897907488
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 27 August 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction Material and Processing 10 Stoneware or Porcelain? 15 Inspiration from Classic China 16 Nils Thorsson and the Stoneware Department after 1932 18 Focusing on Four Decades 22 The Role of the Photographs 24 Catalogue – The Classic Glazes from Royal Copenhagen Celadon 28 Olivine 38 Temmoku 48 Temmoku Plus 64 Chün yao 74 Oxblood, Copper Red 88 Iron Red 98 Blanc de Chine 104 Brush Decoration 108 Solfatara 114 Iron Brown 124 Other Glazes 138 Jungle Series 148 The Magic of Ceramic Glazes Optical and Haptic Effects 156 Nature as a Guideline 160 Perfection and Decorative Coincidence 162 Colour Contrasts 1 – The Intrinsic Dynamics of Glazes 166 Colour Contrasts 2 – The Effects on Rims and Edges 171 Tensions 176 Appendix Importance on a Small Scale: The Miniatures 182 High-Fired Ceramics 184 Ways of Approaching 186 On the Practice of Signing 187 The Ceramic Artists and their Signatures 190 Bronze Fittings 192 Dating Codes 193 Selected Literature 196 Thanks, Postscript 198 Imprint 200
Jrg Schwandt is a collector, author, and former gallerist. He has published extensively on German applied arts, Danish silver, and Danish silver jewellery. Collecting and exploring Danish artist stoneware for well over 50 years, the author now reveals the exceptional, almost overwhelming aesthetic properties of ceramic glazes inspired by classic Chinese traditions.
