Antiquespeak

A passion took hold and keeps me still.

Like being in love or loving love, it is hard to tell the difference which I love more: ceramics itself or studying the mysteries of ceramics. The object or its composition? Not to be obtuse but I find great enjoyment in researching and discovering the source, the time, the history of pottery and porcelain. And then, nothing beats getting to know some of the great explorers - the researchers- past and present.

Find a plate without a maker's name and begin the adventure into history. Country? Manufacturer? Date? Material? How did it get to my part of the world? Those are perhaps the broader categories and as the mystery unwinds, many more strands develop. Country: China. What region? What reigns? When did the Manchus supersede the Mongols and how did that affect the production of porcelain? Eventually, many books later, I hope I have learned enough to identify my plate.