Milk and Blood Porcelain

Most red and white porcelain was made during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). The name ‘milk and blood’ was probably coined by antiques dealers in the 19th century. Although the porcelain was made specially for export to Europe, the decorations are unmistakably Chinese. The wares often feature images inspired by famous Chinese books, or decorations that includes symbols of luck. On rare occasions, the painting is based on examples of prints from Europe, or extra decoration was added in the Netherlands.

The red and gold paintwork was not applied until the object had been fired, over the transparent glaze, and fixed at low temperatures. The motif often has an iron-red outline with a salmon-pink fill, which gives the decorations a very delicate and refined appearance. Many of the household objects made in this style were therefore only used for decorative purposes.

The ‘milk and blood’ collection was donated to Kunstmuseum Den Haag via the Rembrandt Association. The porcelain was previously donated to the Rembrandt Association by collectors Mrs Henriëtte Roelofsz-Dunlop (1926-2014) and Mr Noes Roelofsz (1921-2012), who lived in The Hague.