CLEIJ
ORIENTAL ART
CLEIJ
ORIENTAL ART
Famille Rose
Whereas in many books the start of Famille Rose enamels is placed in the reign of the Chinese emperor Yongzheng (1723-1735), nowadays, it is believed that the first attempts with these enamels were performed during the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722). The Famille Rose enamels were based on chemistry developed in Europe during the 17th century. The transfer of gold into rose, by mixing nitric acid and gold, is first described by Andreas Cassius (a German chemist) in the Dutch city of Leiden in the middle of the 17th century. The second component required for Famille Rose enamels, i.e. white, also did not originate in China. For this a tin based salt was used, which was at the same moment already being used in the Netherlands to provide the white glaze on Delftware. By mixing this salt with the gold derivative, shades of rose were achieved after firing. This procedure was introduced to the Chinese imperial courts by the Jesuits around 1700, and it is generally believed that it was used to enamel copper and undecorated porcelain wares for imperial use. At the end of the reign of Kangxi, the first non-imperial examples left the kilns and these wares became popular with the nobility in Europe. The most famous Yongzheng Famille Rose wares are in the Johanneum collection of Augustus the Strong, who probably had the most extensive Famille Rose collection in Europe at that time. The use of Rose enamels on Chinese export porcelain remained popular throughout the 18th century. Please click on the thumbnail for additional pictures and information about an item.
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