景德镇传统制瓷工艺 THE TRADITIONAL CRAFTS OF PORCELAIN MAKING IN JINGDEZHEN

A BRIEF EXPLANATION (PREFACE)

  Bai Ming

Strictly speaking, the book in readers  hands today has taken me seven years from my tentative ideas to its publication. Based upon the original teaching schedules, I was assigned to take my graduates to Jingdezhen for their field trips each March. In order to provide the students who have not been to Jingdezhen with a full knowledge of her special techniques of that city, I often give them some photo and slide presentations on different techniques and processes with a comprehensive explanation. In the year of 1996, I was assigned to write the chapter of “Traditional Porcelain processes in Jingdezhen” in the volume of “Ceramics” of “The Complete Works of Chinese Traditional Arts and Crafts”. Mr .Lu Yongxiang is the supervisor and Mr. Yang Yongshan, the editor-in-chief. Frankly speaking, I was not very interested in a research in a way to outline the traditional ceramic techniques of Jingdezhen in a descriptive language. However, as I continued my practices in the art fields of celadon and the blue-and-white wares and made further researches into the traditional porcelain processes of Jingdezhen, I began to realize that different techniques and processes, though seeming simple and ordinary, embodies great values of rationality and uniqueness. I have fully understood that it appears quite difficult and impossible to write something new concerning their extensiveness and profundity in a purely descriptive language as there exist great limitations.

The extraordinary sense of beauty in the ceramics of Jingdezhen and development of her ceramic cultures have an interwoven relationship with her special materials and techniques and even we may say that, to some extent, it is the superlative craftsmanship that has turned ordinary “things” into human “favorites” and built up the great reputation that Jingdezhen has enjoyed for her ceramics though she has high-quality clay. As a glorious chapter of the world ceramic cultures, the aesthetic in the Jingdezhen ceramics today have already become the most valuable heritage and standard universally accepted by the whole world. However, there is a common knowledge that the porcelain processes in Jingdezhen have been shrouded in mystery for almost one thousand years. Even the Chinese people may not have a full knowledge about it, let alone foreigners. From ancient times to the present, there have been numerous legends, documents and graphical prints related to the porcelain processes in Jingdezhen, but most of them are not so comprehensive and detailed. Furthermore, I usually have a feeling of a useless attempt as it is a technological process. Its “description” is as direct and clear as photos.

In the year of 2001, I stayed in the United States as a resident artist for almost half a year from January to June, giving lectures in more than a dozen of major cities across both the West Coasts. In my workshops, except my briefings on my own ceramic works and demonstrations, I had a special slide presentation in each place, outlining the traditional techniques and skills of porcelain making in Jingdezhen. Nearly 100 slides constituted a vivid and brief description of a thousand-year history of the magic art in the world-famous city. I had a strong sense of pride that all of the American artists present at my workshops had cherished a feeling of great reverence for and keen interest in the ceramic capital of Jingdezhen. One after another, they asked me about such questions as whether they could find similar books on the traditional skills and techniques of the handmade ceramics of Jingdezhen like the slides. I asked them to give me one more year from then on and they could buy the book that I would have finished by then. ……upon my return to China, I felt quite obligated to have my book published as early as possible because I had already had a rich collection of materials, as many as 2,000 slides, photos and drawings. In consideration of the advantages of the slides and photos and by consulting with the editors of the publishing house, I finally decided to compile the book in a graphic method in order to meet the requirements of ceramic artists at home and abroad, who have been eager to have a full knowledge of the skills and techniques of porcelain in Jingdezhen.

I’d like to make the following explanations as how to work out the layout of the book:

1.                  Exclusive use of the slides and photos taken on the spots by ourselves. When I took pictures of each operating processes, I preferred the authenticity to the sense of beauty if the beauty of the pictures were contrary to the sense of beauty if the beauty of the pictures were contrary to the authenticity, i.e.field trip. I have also put more emphasis upon the significance of the historical documents. Thus, There may exist unavoidable deficiencies concerning the shading values and background in some of the pictures. However, the absolute authenticity is the “life” of the book.

2.                  Selection of typical and representative processes as focal points, such as washing, throwing, trimming and decorating. These processes are the best of the porcelain processes in Jingdezhen. With regard to the others, I’d like to give brief account of such aspects as mining, printing, casting and glaze making for their universality and insignificance of graphical descriptions.

3.                  I have spent almost seven years taking all of the photos in the book, except those showing my demonstrations, taken by Mr. Li Yiyi, one of the executive editors. Careful readers will surely discover some changes in the background of some photos, same operating processes in different places, or same places with different backgrounds. I determined to retain these changes and did not re-shoot because I wanted to give readers a vivid impression of the course of time. As we have seen in the photos, the same technology, even the same skills and techniques, are applied in different working environment. The people will certainly appreciate the particular “tastes” and “flavors” of Jingdezhen in these details. Therefore, we will understand the rigid succession of teachings of porcelain processes from masters to disciples in Jingdezhen.

4.                  The graphical descriptions are more convenient for non-professionals to read the book and the written analysis has the advantages of a deeper thinking and tapping the spiritual and cultural potentials. However, there sometimes exist such dilemma as that I cannot explain the details of the operating processes quite thoroughly or “change simplicity into over-elaborations”. In another respect, I want to make a full use of these valuable photos in my book. When I signed the contract of the book with Jiangxi Fine Arts Publishing House in 1999, I had already more than one thousand slides in my hands. They were products of my five-year survey. I originally thought that I could finish my book in quite a short time. But it was completely different when I began my work. Having discovered some defects or inadequacies in many aspects, I had to travel to Jingdezhen for the photos that I was in need of. I looked for masters and friends, traveled in mountains and surveyed in potters’ workshops, but the shooting was not quite satisfying and the God was sometimes not quite cooperative. The summers in the years of 2000 and 2001 were the hardest time for me as I traveled to and from Jingdezhen for six times. I collected a quantity of materials, re-took many valuable pictures and made a full record of the traditional skills which were not readily demonstrated publicly. These photos are more convincing in themselves than pages of written materials. I am quite sure that the graphical method is the best of choices.

5.                  As I think that many readers of the book will be foreign ceramic artists, amateurs and foreign friends who have been interested in the cultures, arts and crafts and travels of China, thus, I have made brief explanations to each photo in order to help them have a better knowledge of the beauty and charms of the Capital of Porcelain. Furthermore , I have special analysis of the photos that need to elaborated and made the simple graphical description more meaningful. Because I have been making ceramics in Jingdezhen for more than eleven years and also spent seven years collecting and researching the materials concerning the operating processes in a systematic way, the processes that I have selected for the book are not only authentic, typical and representative, but also more relevant to key angles and postures in their demonstrations of the porcelain processes. Therefore, the photos are more directive and academic.

6.                  Over 600 photos in the book are picked out of 2,000 photos and slides taken for the last seven years. If the processes and environment are the same, I have made the best and most convincing choices. On the premise of clear explanations, the selection of these 600 pictures is based upon my full consideration of such points as the format, contents and price. We have only one aspiration: We hope that all the readers would treasure the book.

In this regard, I would like to extend my grateful acknowledgement to Jiangxi Fine Arts

Publishing House. When I signed the contract in 1999, the editors of the publishing house had already listed the book as their priority. Three intelligent and clever edidtors-Mr.Li Yiyi, Mr. Zhang Diefeng and Mr. Tang Hua-were selected as the executive editors of the book and they provided me with great confidence and support and had a full consideration of my suggestions in respect to the layout and style. I am filled with joys and ease in my exchanges with them as they have been rigid and efficient and taking the printing very seriously. This is the very reason that I have been very happy to establish a long cooperation with them. And I was grateful to Mao Zengyin for transling the book.

I would also like to extend my sincere acknowledgment to many of my counterparts, friends and those skilled artisans in Jingdezhen. There would have been no such splendid photos in the book without their support and cooperation and their spirit of dedication.

I’d like to extend more heartfelt acknowledgements to the great city of Jingdezhen. Today, ceramic artists in contemporary China have already formed a strong group which has both received great attentions through their exchanges with the world cultures and established a dialogue with such countries as Japan and the United States with well-developed ceramic art on a basis of equality. In one sense, such remarkable achievements have been gained from the contributions of Jingdezhen, a perfect leader who has created the glorious culture of ceramics. Ceramic artists and scholars from all over the world without exception have showed their respect and yearning for China whenever they discuss about the ceramic art, and thus Jingdezhen has already become “the Holy Land” in the hearts of ceramic artists around the world. As enjoying the great benefit from the great reputation as a great country of traditional ceramic culture, it is an aspiration and ideal for me to introduce the great city and her particular and miraculous porcelain art, of which we feel very proud, to the reading public, especially to our foreign counterparts in the ceramic art community in an all-round and systematic way. I am quite sure that more and more people will enjoy the beauty in the technologies, crafts and culture of the ancient city and wholeheartedly listen to the merry songs arising from the hearts of honest potters.

I’d like to present this book to Jingdezhen, a city of which the Chinese people feel proud.