Lecture by Teresa Canepa

Jingdezhen ‘first orders’ porcelain for the Portuguese market

The earliest Chinese porcelains to reflect European influence were produced in Jingdezhen (Jiangxi province) during the Zhengde reign (1506–1521), specifically for the Portuguese. Despite trade bans under the Jiajing Emperor (1522–1566), Portuguese merchants maintained clandestine contact along China’s southeastern coast, influencing local ceramic production. Although documentary evidence is limited, a small group of underglaze blue ewers, bottles, dishes, and bowls held in both public and private collections combines Chinese motifs with European motifs such as the Portuguese royal arms, the armillary sphere, the IHS monogram, and inscriptions in Latin or Portuguese. Referred to as ‘first orders’, these porcelains were produced in private kilns during the late Zhengde and early Jiajing periods.

This talk examines examples from the Albuquerque Collection in light of archaeological findings. Excavations at Shangchuan Island (Guangdong province), an early site of Portuguese trade before Macao’s establishment in 1557, and at Jingdezhen kilns offer valuable insight into the production and circulation of these cross-cultural porcelains. Initially facilitated by Chinese intermediaries in Malacca or Shangchuan, this trade became formalized after the Portuguese settlement in Macao.