space cowboy

I saw Children of Huang Shi over the weekend on the premium movie
channels. It is set in China during the Rape of Nanking in 1937.
During one scene one of the Chinese characters is drinking tea from a
Gaiwan. Not knowing any more I initially thought this an anachronism
even though I dont remember seeing Gaiwans in the stores before mid
90s. The foreigners still drink their coffee even in Inner Mongolia.
Does anyone know the two Chinese characters used for Hogg in the
movie.

Jim

PS I seem to remember the use of a Gaiwan in one of Jackie Chans
period movies.

jenn

I saw a movie called "love is a many splendored thing"
There were gaiwans all over the table where they were having dinner in
the parents home. I think it may be a 50's movie.
Jenn

lewis perin

Space Cowboy <netstuff@ix.netcom.com> writes:

Sorry, I've read your post a few times and still am not completely
sure what you're saying. Do you think the gaiwan wasn't invented
until, say, some time in the twentieth century?

/Lew
---
Lew Perin / perin@acm.org
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

space cowboy

I dont remember Gaiwans in any movie period piece besides the 20th
century. I know pots are collectables at least back to the 19th
century. I know Gaiwans are porcelain but I dont know of any collector
market. I still think along the lines of a novelty export item. I
dont remember seeing them in Chinatown till the nineties. I would
have bought one if I saw them sooner since the sixties. I know
teaware in China is regional.

Jim

....I am not a movie critic...

lewis perin

Space Cowboy <netstuff@ix.netcom.com> writes:

Wikipedia's gaiwan article says they date to the Ming dynasty. I'm
aware that Wikipedia isn't an infallible source of information, but
neither is Denver's Chinatown.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin / perin@acm.org
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

dominic t.

I was similarly confused by the initial post, but I get what you're
saying. I think you'd have to be an expert in Chinese cinema to really
know what the first film was... outside of U.S. cinema. I'd disagree
that there isn't a collector market though, I have seen a number of
very old, and even more expensive gaiwans. I was at an exhibition of
some modern artisans of chawans (matcha bowls) and the antique dealer
also had some info on gaiwans we talked about which was amazing. There
were many others besides just porcelain.

- Dominic

space cowboy

Id be interested in the earliest Gaiwan perse as we know it today. I
still think a 20th century creation. I know chawan probably date Ming
which is different. I didnt see anything in SF Chinatown in the
seventies decade. I can vouch for Denver since the early eighties.

Jim

space cowboy

We have a couple of Chinese antique dealers in town. Ill make a note
to find out more about Gaiwans there. It bugs me I think the Gaiwan
looks like a modern form.

Jim

dominic t.

The dates on some of the ones the woman who owns the gallery showed me
were very old, and she is Chinese and her shop and reputation are
above and beyond. She managed to bring together a show of some top
Japanese tea bowl makers so I had no reason to doubt her. Some were
jade, not glazed or jade-like but actual jade and some celadon/
porcelain. The one jade gaiwan was being sold for almost $2000 USD
(converted) and there were three or four in the $1000 range with a
bunch in the $100-400 range. There had been one really beautiful one
with a full history that was going for about $125 which I almost
bought and now kick myself that I didn't.

- Dominic

natarajan krishnaswami

If the period is "mythic past", they can be found in "Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon".

N.