Christiaan Jörg, Dresden Porcelain Project

Q5 QUESTIONS Christiaan Jörg

BIOGRAPHY

Christiaan J.A. Jörg (1944) studied art history at Leiden University. He specialised in Oriental export porcelain and got his Ph.D. in 1979. From 1978-2003 he was keeper and head of research at the Groninger Museum, Groningen. From 1997-2009 he was professor at Leiden University teaching East-West Interactions in Decorative Art. In 2012 he was appointed Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau. Presently he is academic supervisor of the Dresden Porcelain Project, which aims to produce a complete catalogue of the Asian porcelains in the former collection of Augustus the Strong. Jörg made several major exhibitions and lectured widely in Europe, the Far East and the United States. He published over 120 books, catalogues and articles on Asian export porcelain and Japanese export lacquer. 1. Which area of Chinese art & culture particularly interests you?

I am particularly interested in Chinese export art made for the West, from the 16th century up to the 20th. Although porcelain is best known in that category, export textiles, wood and ivory carvings, silver, furniture and lacquer provide a much needed context.

2. How did you become involved in the world of

Chinese Art?

As a boy of 14 I was weeding the vegetable garden of my aunt when a white shard came up, decorated in blue with half the image of a woman in a long robe. It’s old Chinese porcelain, my aunt told me. It started a life-long fascination.

SPIRIT STONE, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM NEW YORK

3. What are some of your personal words of wisdom that you live and work by?

Some attitudes might be useful when working in this field such as: curiosity, amazement and an open mind. I think that sharing info and knowledge creates a community. Story-telling is important because it brings the mute object to life. And one should always have a deep respect for the endless creativity of the craftsman.

4. What’s the last artistic or cultural event that really impressed you?

The presentation of the Nebra disc in the Drents Museum in Assen. This bronze disk, inlaid with gold, is dated to c. 1600 BC and was recently found in Germany. It is the oldest astronomical depiction of the sky known and a stunningly beautiful object.

5. If money, space or time were no object, which piece of (Chinese) art or antique would you like to have in your home?

Besides objects made of wood, I love stone. So do the Chinese. The exuberant ‘spirit’ stones, placed on the desk of the scholar, or the larger taihu stones in his garden, appeal to an esthetic almost unknown in the West. A scholar’s stone reflects the personality of its owner, but is difficult to find. I still try…