In Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, porcelain begins with clay, but it carries much more than beauty. Behind each finished piece is a long journey of hands, tools, fire and time. Zhao Ruinan and Li Xinlei reports.
Known as China’s “porcelain capital”, Jingdezhen has been linked with ceramic production for more than 1,700 years. Its porcelain industry grew fast during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, and reached a high point in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
For hundreds of years, porcelain from Jingdezhen traveled over land and by sea along the Silk Road, helping shape the world’s understanding of Chinese craft, taste and design. Its handmade porcelain techniques were included in the first batch of China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.
The ancient art of Jingdezhen step by step. Move over the images and discover each step.
The main raw materials for porcelain production are porcelain stone and kaolin, also known as China clay, both of which come from mines. Exploring the mountains to find raw materials was the first step in porcelain making.
Jingdezhen has been using water-powered trip hammers to crush porcelain stone for more than 1,000 years. The most strenuous physical labor is delegated to hydraulic machinery.
The sedimented slurry is directly dehydrated. Workers used their feet to tread on the dehydrated mud. This makes it easier to sense the condition of the mud and completely expel the air bubbles within it.
Throwing on the wheel is the most important step in the traditional forming process. Throwing on the wheel refers to using the turntable of the potter's wheel to shape the clay into the desired form with both hands. The techniques include pressing, pinching, supporting, and pulling, emphasizing skillful hand movements and tactile feel.
After molding, the clay body still retains some moisture. If this moisture is not removed, the porcelain will crack during firing. Pieces at this stage are neatly arranged on wooden boards to dry faster and more evenly in the sunlight. The tray used for placing medium-sized plates is about 3 meters long and about 10 centimeters wide.
The piece is then smoothed, rounded and made more even. The vessel is placed upside down.
Porcelain painting (blue and white) refers to the process in which artists use a brush dipped in blue pigment to draw patterns. The blue decoration is painted with cobalt pigment. In famous Yuan and early Ming blue-and-white wares, imported cobalt pigment — often associated with Persia — was especially prized for its rich, deep tone.
After the painting is completed, the vessel is covered with a layer of transparent glaze and fired at about 1,300 C in a wood-fueled kiln in a reducing (low-oxygen) atmosphere, allowing the blue decoration to remain under the glaze.
The craft is often described through an old saying: a piece of porcelain must pass through 72 procedures before it is complete. These steps include preparing clay, shaping, carving, glazing, firing and selection. Today, artisans say the process can be even more complex, because each fine detail may require its own step.