Chinese Art Objects, Collecting, and Interior Design in Twentieth-Century Britain (The Histories of Material Culture and Collecting, 1700-1950)

By: Helen Glaister

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Synopsis: This book explores the relationship between collecting Chinese ceramics, interior design and display in Britain through the eyes of collectors, designers and taste makers during the years leading to, during and following World War II. The Ionides Collection of European Style Chinese Export Porcelain forms the nucleus of this study – defined by its design hybridity – offering insights into the agency of Chinese porcelain in diverse contexts, from seventeenth century Batavia to twentieth century Britain, raising questions about notions of Chineseness, Britishness and identity politics across time and space. Through the biographies of the collectors, this book highlights the role of collecting Chinese art objects, particularly porcelain, in the construction of individual and group identities. Social networks linking the Ionides to agents and dealers, auctioneers and museum specialists bring into focus the dynamics of collecting during this period, the taste of the Ionides and their self-fashioning as collectors. The book will be of interest to scholars working in the fields of art history, history of collections, interior design, Chinese studies, and material culture studies.