Pottery Firing Craftsmanship

Ⅷ-98Traditional CraftsmanshipPingtang, GuizhouBatch 2 (2008)Newly Added Item

01 · Historical Records

Yazhou pottery is produced in Yazhou Town, Pingtang County, Guizhou Province; its production began in the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty and has a history of over six hundred years to this day.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Yazhou pottery firing still preserves the original ancient handmade method, known for its simplicity and rustic honesty, with distinct character and fairly high practical, ornamental, and collectible value; in particular, the pottery's glass glaze flows naturally and, during firing, produces various textures with temperature changes (commonly called "kiln transformation" or yaobian), which is breathtaking. Under the impact of modern life, Yazhou pottery production is facing an unprecedented predicament. First, many old artisans have passed away one after another or are advanced in age, while local young people are leaving to work elsewhere and are unwilling to learn pottery making, so the transmission of the Yazhou pottery firing craft is in danger of being interrupted. Second, production costs keep rising, profits are low, and the products are also hit by modern life, so sales have plummeted. Third, there is a shortage of design talent and it cannot meet market needs, hindering further development.

Glaze that runs of itself

The glaze flows and shifts with the heat to make what the potters call kiln changes, so no two pieces come out alike.

Ancient hand methods

Pinched and coiled by hand in an old way, the forms are deliberately uneven and the surface plainly rustic.

The craftsmen thinning out

Elder potters are passing or changing trade, the clay is being dug up for building, and the prices will not hold a young apprentice.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The Yazhou pottery firing craft centers on Yazhou Town, Pingtang County, Guizhou Province. The Miao villages around Yazhou live along the river, and most households in the villages fire pottery as family units, with products sold locally and shipped out via markets. Yazhou pottery firing still preserves the original ancient handmade method, known for its simplicity and rustic honesty, with distinct character and fairly high practical, ornamental, and collectible value; under the impact of modern life, Yazhou pottery production is facing an unprecedented predicament. The Guizhou Provincial Cultural Hall is the project protection unit. The pottery households around Yazhou mostly also grow rice and gather firewood; the pottery is mostly made into vessels for cooking, grain storage, and water drawing. Their jars and pots are mostly decorated with line-incised patterns on the plain body without colored glaze, so the finished ware is plain and durable. Today, pottery study and sales points have been set up around Pingtang, and young apprentices are gradually increasing, but judging the glaze and the clay's nature still depends on the old craftsmen's experience and is hard to put into words.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

In summary, the Yazhou pottery firing craft is already in danger of being lost and urgently needs protection. Zhang Luqi (per the official archive of the related inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in July 1970, a native of Pingtang County, Guizhou Province. Representative inheritor of the pottery firing craft (Yazhou pottery firing craft), a national-level intangible cultural heritage item (fifth batch). The pottery he designs and makes has a unique style and simple, archaic shapes, with a typical Guizhou local flavor. In 2008 he invested in founding the Yazhou Arts and Crafts Ceramic Factory to inherit the Yazhou ceramic craft

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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