?znik pottery is named after the town of ?znik, where these finely decorated ceramics have been manufactured since the last quarter of the 15th century. Local craftsmen developed simple earthenware pottery into a more sophisticated manufacture of high-quality ceramics painted with cobalt blue patterns and coated with a colourless glaze.
This modern form of production developed under the patronage of the Ottoman court in Istanbul, which traded with China and greatly valued Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Consequently, the iconography of ?znik ceramics combined traditional Ottoman arabesque patterns with Chinese motifs. Today, contemporary artists remain true to traditional design sources by creating objects that relate to cultural exchanges from the time of the Ming dynasty.
About the exhibition
Dates: June 1 – August 19, 2018
Venue: The University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Courtesy of the artists and the University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
