This online exhibition celebrates a temporary display which opened in November 2012 in Winterthur’s Ceramics and Glass Galleries.  The Nadler collection of Chinese export porcelain, recently promised to Winterthur, focuses on objects from the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China from 1645 until 1908. Many of the pieces date to the 19th century and include wares made for different markets around the world. The Nadlers began collecting while traveling in New England and were intrigued by the broad range of patterns produced. Surprised at how little information was available on the period, however, they eventually published China to Order, which discusses their porcelain against the historical backdrop of trade with China.  (An updated digital, version of China to Order was created for this online exhibition.)

Daniel Nadler was born in Egypt of European parents and has always had a deep love of design and fascination with the ability of objects to illuminate the past. Before beginning his career as a construction manager, he spent two years in Japan as an Air Force officer; gaining an appreciation for Oriental art. Dan met Serga in her native Iran, and over the past thirty-five years they have built their collection together.

The Nadlers, now retired, live in New York City when they are not traveling. They continue to add to their collection, which includes Japanese export porcelain as well.  Both of the Nadlers are avid photographers, and they contributed the images for this virtual exhibition.  Serga is a docent emerita of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she guided tours for eighteen years.

In celebration of the Nadler promised gift, the upcoming Winterthur Ceramics Conference (April 4-5, 2013) will be themed The World is a Marketplace: An Obsession with Chinese Porcelain.  The conference will will bring together international scholars and collectors and will feature a series of lectures and hands-on workshops.