Nahant resident collector of rare Chinese porcelain

NAHANT – He is known as “The Mandarin Man” in the rarified world of Chinese porcelain collectors and Paul Gaudet can back up that nickname with a collection of over 400 rare pieces.The collection of vases, urns, “concubine seats,” bowls and other examples of late 18th and early 19th century porcelain art fill his home, covering tables and crowding corners. A multi-layered security system replete with laser technology protects the horde. “I’ve had people contact from all over the world,” he said, dismissing with a wave of his hand an invitation to put a price on his collection, “It’s been a joy for me.”Gaudet earned his nickname by collecting Mandarin porcelain, one of three types of porcelain collectables created by Chinese artisans between 1780 and 1830. New England merchant men sailed up and down the East Coast taking porcelain orders before setting sail for the Orient. They typically returned a year and a half later with their ship holds stuffed with the valuable wares.Gaudet’s collection is rooted in his family history. The Nahant native started collecting at 16, inspired by neighbor Alma Cleveland Porter’s extensive porcelain collection. Porter took Gaudet under her wing and trained him to recognize real porcelain from fake.”She trained my eye. I got to know her and her husband, Olin “Red” Porter very well.”Porcelain curator Crosby Forbes also taught Gaudet to spot details that make a teacup or bowl with its ornate colors and fine detail unique. He learned to distinguish a concubine seat designed to safely contain a small warming fire from a temple urn crafted to hold herbs and spices.”You get so addicted to this,” Gaudet said.Every piece of Mandarin porcelain is a miniature depiction of Chinese court scenes with nobles greeting visitors, entertaining family or engaged in household activities. Faces, clothing and plant life painted on bowls, vases and teacups are finely rendered in different colors providing a glimpse into a world that thrived centuries ago and half a world away.”They were the muckimucks of their time,” he said.Chinese artists worked in groups to create each porcelain piece, typically spending a year on one object with each artist assigned to a specific task. Porcelain fakes are often close replicas of real pieces even though they are mass produced.”You have to be careful of reproductions,” he said, comparing his collection’s quality to the Peabody Essex Museum’s porcelain trove.