Study On The Export Of Chinese Ceramics During The Ming And Qing Dynasties

Chinese ceramics played the same important role as silk in the ancient exporttrade. It started in Han Dynasty, developed in Tang and Five Dynasties, flourished inSong and Yuan Dynasties. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhenghe shipped to the west,which was the largest scale of porcelain export and adapted to the historical trend thatthe cultural communication between China and foreign countries prospered. DuringMiddle and Late Ming to Early Qing Dynasty, it developed faster than ever, Chineseceramics were sold to a larger range of areas, more countries took part in porcelaintrade. It brought great influence on western people's life. The reasons for the fastincrease of ceramics export trade mainly lied in early capitalist colonizing, theaccumulation of seed capital, the rise of the collection tide of European in Chineseceramics, as well as the adjustment taken by central government to the overseas tradepolicy etc. The porcelain industry of Europe and Japan was set up after Middle QingDynasty, the scale of ceramics export descended a lot. Chinese porcelain exportbrought lots of influence to western Fine Arts and culture. It led to western arts styletransforming from Baroque to Rococo, promoted the exchanges of the ceramicsproduction crafts and people between China and other parts of the world, increasedChinese porcelain industry and worked as one of the most important forms of exporttrades and that time. To sum up, the prosperity of Chinese ceramics export tradeenhanced the cultural communication and made special contribution to progress ofthe world's civilization.