Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain
May 9 2023 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Dr. Teresa Canepa introduced the most important collection of seventeenth-century Chinese porcelain in the world, assembled by the distinguished British diplomat Sir Michael Butler (1927–2013). Butler’s lavish collection covers most types of porcelain produced at Jingdezhen, in Jiangxi Province, during the seventeenth century known as the ‘Transitional Period’ between the ceasing of production of the Imperial kilns in 1608 to the reinstatement of Imperial supervisors in 1683.
Although Sir Michael Butler’s daughter, Ms. Katharine Butler, was scheduled to accompany Dr. Canepa to tell the fascinating story of the circumstances that encouraged her father to acquire, collect, and passionately study Chinese porcelain of the seventeenth century–and how, through research for the book, Leaping the Dragon Gate published in November 2021, the scholarship that he initiated has been continued–she was unfortunately called back to the UK and unable to accompany Dr. Canepa.
This was the society’s first live, in-person talk post-Covid and there was a full Visitor’s Room at Singapore’s National Library on 9 May 2023 with standing room only. An audience of 50+ enjoyed the lecture and copies of the book were available for sale after the talk at a reduced price.