European Porcelain Copies of Chinese Ceramics

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European Porcelain Copies of Chinese Designs

I bet that for many the words "European Porcelain Copies" conjures the image of Chinese fakes of European porcelain. The result of today's situation. However, this page shall set the record straight regarding copying of porcelain. The Europeans were actually the first to do so. They copied Chinese porcelain!

European porcelain copies bearing Chinese motifs and decorations were made from very early on. Soon after it entered Europe for the first time, Chinese porcelain became the rage and Europe's craftsmen tried to imitate it. That is, they did not only try to make a similar clay body like the Chinese porcelain, but they frequently made replica of Chinese decorations.

As at the time no Kaolin clay was available, blank porcelain was imported from China to be painted in Europe. At the same time the Europeans tried various artificial clay mixtures to imitate Chinese porcelain, which then were decorated by European ceramic painters.

Real European porcelain became available only after Kaolin, the essential component of Chinese porcelain clay was discovered in Europe, and after the method of producing the porcelain clay became known - in the middle of the 18th century.

Chinoiserie

"Chinoiserie" is the name for a form of early European porcelain decoration that copied Chinese motifs. While some of the very early European copies copied Chinese motifs very closely, soon distinct European-style Chinese decorations started to appear. They are now called Chinoiserie. These can be distinguished with ease from the Chinese-made decorations. They are painted in a style, and show proportions, that are differen from those actually made in China.

However, during the 19th century some European porcelain manufacturers were producing high-level replicas of Chinese porcelain, which are difficult to distinguish from the Chinese originals. Should we call them fakes? No, they don't fall into the category of fakes, because the manufacturers applied their own marks. They did not pretend the items were something different, which usually is the main difference between a copy or replica and a fake.

European Replicas of Chinese Porcelain

Herend is known to have made some straight replicas of Chinese porcelain, but they were all marked with an impressed mark and can be recognized by this mark.

Another firm extensively copied Chinese porcelain designs in the 19th century. In France Edmé Samson (Paris, 1810-1891) founded the firm Samson, Edmé et Cie.
The firm mainly copied the designs of other manufacturers; this included European as well as Chinese porcelain. Some were copied to such a degree that it is difficult to tell the original from the copy.

Although Samson seems to have clearly marked their own products, it appears some were still passed off as original Chinese items, possibly by third parties. Copies were found with the Samson mark removed, but it is unknown who removed them.
There can be no doubt as to the purpose of this...

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