LONG BEACH, CA.- The Port of Long Beach, one of the world’s busiest seaports and a leading gateway to Asia, serves as a fitting backdrop for Made in China: Export Porcelain from the Leo and Doris Hodroff Collection at Winterthur, presented in its only West Coast venue at the Long Beach Museum of Art, July 21 through September 17, 2006. Made in China tells the fascinating story of the rise of the China Trade in porcelain from 1550 to 1850 between China, Europe and America, and its resulting impact on Western culture.

Made in China showcases approximately 150 pieces of Chinese export porcelain drinking, dining and decorative wares from the Leo and Doris Hodroff Collection at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, the former home of noted collector Henry Francis du Pont. The exhibition explores the history and widespread economic implications of the China Trade and the resulting cultural interaction between East and West. The exhibition and catalogue also explore the cultural significance of the porcelain trade in Western culture, revolutionizing the way people in the West ate, drank, dined and decorated their homes.

The exhibition is divided into thematic and geographic sections focusing on porcelain as a product of skilled Chinese artisans, as a valuable trade commodity, as an artifact of daily life, and as evidence of cultural interactions between Asia and the West. Objects in the exhibition range in size from small delicate tea bowls to monumental vases, each a masterpiece of the potter’s art.

One of the features of the exhibition is a set of 10 watercolor paintings showing the different stages of porcelain production. The exhibit also includes Western forms such as plates, mugs and candlesticks. Western designs include armorial porcelain decorated with coats of arms for wealthy noblemen; dining and drinking wares showing political events including an homage to President George Washington; landscapes and familiar places such as St. Paul’s Cathedral in London; as well as whimsical teapots and tureens, religious and mythological themes, and decorative figurines.

For both children and adults, the exhibition includes an interactive computer program, which allows users to design their own Chinese export porcelain dinner plate, and a demonstration explaining the differences between porcelain and other types of ceramics.

Made in China: Export Porcelain from the Leo and Doris Hodroff Collection at Winterthur was organized by Winterthur Museum & Country Estate through the generous support of Leo and Doris Hodroff. The Long Beach presentation is made possible through the support of the Evalyn M. Bauer Foundation, The Ahmanson Foundation, interTrend Communications, The Port of Long Beach, Naomi Rainey, and other generous supporters.