The Butler Collection of Chinese Porcelain: From Connoisseur’s Eye to Cutting-Edge Science

Image: Winepot (left) and saucepot (right), Jingdezhen kilns, China, c.1670, Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign (1662–1722). From the Butler Collection.

One of the world’s finest collections of seventeenth-century Chinese porcelain began with a single purchase and a collector’s curiosity.

In this fascinating illustrated talk, Katharine Butler traces the remarkable evolution of the Sir Michael Butler Collection, developed over decades through careful collecting, scholarly research and an enduring passion for one of the most creative periods in Chinese ceramic history. Along the way, she explores how the collection contributed to a deeper understanding of seventeenth-century Chinese porcelain and reveals the unexpected role played by Sir Edward Heath in its story.

Today, advances in scientific analysis, digital cataloguing and artificial intelligence are transforming the study of historic ceramics. Drawing on her own research, Katharine Butler will discuss how these new techniques are helping scholars and collectors assess authenticity, identify forgeries and open up new possibilities for museums, researchers and collectors alike.

Combining art history, detective work and cutting-edge technology, this talk offers a unique insight into a remarkable collection and the future of porcelain scholarship.

About the Speaker

Katharine Butler, Director of the Butler Collection and co-author of Leaping the Dragon Gate.

Katharine Butler is a collector, researcher and author specialising in Chinese porcelain. She holds an MA in History of Art from the University of Edinburgh and is co-author of Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain (2021). She has lectured widely and contributed articles to numerous specialist publications. A Council Member of the Oriental Arts Society, she is also involved in pioneering projects that apply scientific analysis and artificial intelligence to the study of historic ceramics.

Date: Tuesday 9 March
Time: Doors from 1.45pm, talk begins 2.00pm
Venue: Arundells, 59 The Close, Salisbury
Tickets: £16

All tickets are non refundable but you are very welcome to pass them on to friends or family if you are unable to attend.

High Transitional jar with cover, porcelain decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels, Jingdezhen kilns, Jiangxi Province, c.1630–40, Ming dynasty, Chongzhen reign (1628–44). From the Sir Michael Butler Collection.