Kitchen Chi’ing ceramics are a type of blue and white porcelain that was popular among overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia where they were welcomed by the
Baba Nonya people, also referred to as Peranakans for everyday ware, as well as the Chinese in Borneo, Indonesia and the Philippines. Some of this export ware made its way to Australia with Chinese miners who migrated to Australia during the Gold Rush era in the mid-19th century.
Kitchen Ch’ing ware was mainly used for storing, preparing and serving food. They have distinctive shapes, patterns and motifs that reflect the cultural identity and preferences of the overseas Chinese of the times.
Although many kitchen Ch’ing porcelains were made in China specifically for the export market there was a kiln site in the Hong Kong New Territories located in Tai Po where similar Kitchen Ch’ing ceramics were manufactured.
As these ceramics were made for everyday ware and made in abundance for export many of these ceramics were found in shipwrecks bound for the Southeast market in the South China Sea.
Some features of Kitchen Ch’ing porcelain from Tai Po in Hong Kong
• Shapes: The most common shapes are jars, bowls, plates, dishes, cups and saucers.
• Patterns: The most common patterns are floral, geometric, animal or auspicious symbols.
• Motifs: The most common motifs are peony, lotus, chrysanthemum, plum blossom, bamboo, dragon, phoenix, crane, fish, bat or longevity character.
