Men Treading China Clay in Pits
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Men Treading China Clay in Pits is a 1780 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows men treading china clay in pits. They're adding water to the clay, which is an important step. The painting is part of a set that shows how porcelain was made in China, which was a secret in Europe at the time. The set of paintings was likely made to help Europeans understand how porcelain was made. This knowledge was valuable because Europe couldn't produce true porcelain before the 18th century. The scene is simple, but it tells us a lot about the process. Check out the technique of chiaroscuro.
The rectangular watercolor, rendered in subdued tones, depicts two men treading stone in pits as part of a larger series illustrating porcelain production processes. It is one of twenty-four works illustrating the pottery industry, created to satisfy European curiosity about Chinese porcelain techniques before Europe could replicate them. The piece was acquired in 1910 from Gordon M. Forsyth and is held in an institutional collection.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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