The samples recovered from the Blue Chrysanthemum shipwreck are exclusively Ancient Chinese ceramics. The wares are predominately Kangxi Period blue and white porcelain, although multi-coloured ceramics and utilitarian wares are also in evidence in the cargo. The blue and white wares have been assessed to be excellent examples of early Chinese Kangxi blue and white porcelain, produced in the famous porcelain centre of Jingdezhen in the Jiangsu Province. Jingdezhen kilns made porcelain over two millennia, since the Han Dynasty period, reaching their technical excellence during the early Qing Dynasty. The very high quality cobalt blue colouring seen here is distinctive of the Kangxi Period porcelains, also referred to as ‘gem blue’ or ‘kingfisher blue’.
To discover more about Kangxi ceramics, please visit our relevant post: 10 Things You Need to Know About Kangxi Blue and White Ceramic.