Li Yicang

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Li Yicang, Male, Han, from Chengcheng, Shaanxi, is a first-batch national representative bearer of Chengchengyaotou Ceramic Firing Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-12). The tradition is documented in Chengcheng, Shaanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Chengchengyaotou Ceramic Firing Craftsmanship in Chengcheng, Shaanxi: Local farmers make use of the slack seasons in agriculture: in summer and autumn they make bodies and paint decoration, and in winter they fire kilns and sell, passing the craft down from generation to generation. The flowers and animals decorating the various vessels share the same origins as the local paper-cutting and dough-flower forms; the subjects are mostly lotus, peony and chrysanthemum, or the characters 'fortune' (fu), 'emolument' (lu), 'longevity' (shou) and 'happiness' (xi). According to Ming-dynasty county gazetteers, in Chengcheng 'porcelain sand began in the Tang dynasty,' reaching its height in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

He is a national representative bearer of Chengchengyaotou Ceramic Firing Craftsmanship, a first-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. From an early age Li Yicang learned bowl-kiln techniques from his uncle Li Shusheng at the family kiln site; he completed his apprenticeship at the age of 18 and became most adept at the iron-rust floral and blue-and-white incising techniques. The iron-rust floral technique has a long history: the sunflower and fish-net patterns he painted faintly recall the style of the Yangshao culture; the characters Fu (fortune), Shou (longevity), Hua (splendor) and Xiang (fragrance) incised on large bowls are written with free abandon in a bold style, while works such as the Fish Playing among Lotuses plate, the Chrysanthemums Blooming in Abundance lid-support and the Alfalfa Flower bowl are all boldly conceived and richly imaginative. His works have soft, lustrous tones, with patterns drawn mainly in outline; the painted decoration flows freely and the brushwork is simple, giving a character of pure steadiness and classic elegance. His iron-rust floral and blue-and-white works have been collected by the Shaanxi Provincial Art Center, the Shenzhen Art Museum, the University of Hong Kong, the Shaanxi Art Museum and other institutions. Within the documented technical tradition of Chengchengyaotou Ceramic Firing Craftsmanship in Chengcheng, Shaanxi: Yaotou Town in Chengcheng County, in the east of the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi, produces coarse porcelain. The area is rich in coal resources, and fireclay deposits are distributed in the stone cliffs of gullies, with white and purple raw materials occurring together, making it convenient for firing ceramics and sand ware. Yaotou porcelain is produced entirely by indigenous hand methods, with raw materials taken from local fireclay; the processing includes four steps: slip-making, body-making, glazing and calcining. For the slip, dry clay ore is first crushed, soaked in a water pool for several days, then stirred into slurry and settled in separate pools. Coarse clay is made into large vessels such as jars and basins, while fine clay is used for fine porcelain such as bowls and saucers. The products of the porcelain industry are closely connected with people's production and daily life; their forms show refinement within roughness and ingenuity within plainness, giving a simple and natural beauty, entirely different from the delicate and exquisite style of southern ceramics. The tiger-shaped porcelain pillows are exquisitely lustrous, glaring like tigers yet childishly lovable; they serve as both pillows and ornaments, and carry the meaning of warding off evil and bolstering courage. The 'lazy wife' seats for children bear the flavor of primitive painted pottery: the child sits inside while the mother is free to attend to housework. The black rat jars and lion jars have unusual images, with rats and lions in various postures on their lids as knobs, full of delightful charm. The glaze colors of Yaotou coarse porcelain are mostly white, yellow and black, with blue and brownish red as well. In recent decades, people's lifestyles and consumption concepts have changed greatly, and the main products of Yaotou ceramics — jars, basins and pots — have gradually lost their uses. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Records of Process Steps": Yaotou porcelain is produced entirely by indigenous hand methods, with raw materials taken from local fireclay; the processing includes four steps: slip-making, body-making, glazing and calcining.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

Li Yicang, a male of Han ethnicity, was born in 1931 in Chengcheng, Shaanxi, and died in 2009.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Li Yicang · National Representative Bearer Archive