Renowned worldwide, the production of ceramics in Dehua has written a magnificent chapter in the development history of world ceramics for its long history and extraordinary techniques. The ceramics produced in Dehua boasts of its high quality, extraordinary skills, delicate design and fantastic colors. With its unique national style and striking local characteristics, ceramics Dehua is considered as the art essence of Chinese culture. The new century has witnessed the increasing ly fast development of the production of ceramics in Dehua and the great improvement of the design and innovation. Ceramics Dehua has won increasingly attention and high praise from home and abroad more and more.

 

Section one

The production of porcelain in Dehua has a long and glorious history, which can be dated back to the new Stone Age when stamped ceramics were made. During the Song and Yuan dynasty, the ceramics produced in Dehua such as soldiers with armed force holders were very popular and best-selling in many Southeast Asian countries. During the North Song Dynasty, Dehua ceramics were the main exporting products of Chitong Port of Quanzhou, which is the beginning point of the “Marine Silk Road”, and were transported and sold through the “Marine Silk Road” to a lot of countries worldwide. The massive exporting of the ceramic products stimulated unceasing innovation of the kiln stove technology and the expansion of production scale, and facilitated the development of Dehua Ceramic industry. During Yuan Dynasty, the Italian traveler Marco Polo once travelled to Quanzhou and wrote in his travel notes, “I know there is another town nearby the Chitong city named Diyunzhou(Nowadays Daiyun of Dehua). People there made bowls and other chinaware, which are attractive and massive.” When returning, he brought back many white china wares and colored small porcelain vases and so on from Quanzhou, Which are lodged now with the Saint Mark Treasury Museum in Wells City. At the intermediate stage of Ming Dynasty, the production of ceramics in Dehua achieved most prosperity and reached its prime (peak) time. It was recorded that, during the Ming Dynasty, porcelain statues represented by the products of He Chaozong “were once introduced throught sea route from the ports of Ningbo in Zhejiang province and Qauznhou in Fujian province to Japan, and many European and the southeast Asian countries”. From about 16^th century, Dehua Ceramics, which were accidentally introduced through Portuguese trading cargoes into Western Europe, have been widely appreciated and loved by the European nobles. At that time, many European royal porcelain factories imitated the production of Dehua porcelain, among which are Saintque and Chardmy Chinaware factory in France, Maisen factory in Germany, Charles factory in London of England. “German Maisen also imitated the production of Maitreya, the fat laughing Buddha, one of the famous porcelain products in Dehua; The famous technologist Botterg duplicated wit red clay Goddess of Mercy(Kwan-yin), which 14 inches in height”(quoted from “The Chinese white---Dehua Porcelain”). It is obviously certain that the appearance and widespread of Dehua porcelain carving products in Ming Dynasty has had a profound impact on the domestic and foreign ceramic industry, and has made tremendous contributions the development of the ceramic industry worldwide.

 

In the middle and later part of Ming Dynasty, Dehua started to produce the blue-and-white porcelain, which reached its prime and booming time at the three imperial generations of Kanghsi, Yong Zheng, and Qian Long of Qing dynasty. Most of the products were exported to the Southeast Asia, European and even Afican countries. During Qian Long imperial years, Zheng Jiancai once said in the poem of “Kiln Technology”, “Everywhere at the rural fair gate, the products pole up like mountains; once the ships are coming, the price is jumping; not fear the business is losing, only if the tide is passing.” It was obvious that during Qing Dynasty the blue-and-white porcelains producted in Dehua Kilns were also shipped across the seas, and won great favor like the white porcelain products in Ming Dynasty.

Since early ages in the history, Dehua Ceramics has been greatly popular home and abroad, and has greatly influenced the development of world ceramic industry. Nowadays, the production and design technology has been tremendously improved and much greater varieties are obtained.

 

Section Two

Dehua ceramics is renowned worldwide as it is pure and white like jades, its glazed surface shining and clear like crystals and mirrors, its design delicate but practical, and the decoration simple but elegant.

 

In Ming Dynasty, He Chaozong, the porcelain modeling artistic master, with his unique artistic judgment and the excellent sculpture skills, integrating Chinese Ceramic culture and western religion and folk customs, successfully produced ivory white porcelain, which pushed Dehua white porcelain art to the peak of Chinese and even the world ceramics production. Ivory white porcelain is highly praised for its creamy white color. The mold and glaze work together so well that it looks translucent in the sunlight. The character statues made of ivory white porcelain, the clothes drifting in the wind, are extremely vivid. Each kind of arts and crafts made of it is as magnificent and elegant as jades. After introduced into Europe, French people call it “China white”( Blanc de chine), considering it as the best product of Chinese porcelain. Some people call it “ivory white” or “velvet white”. Japanese people also praised it as the most outstanding work of porcelain products. Dehua ivory white porcelain products originated by He Chaozong are highly praised throughout the world as the eastern “Venus”, as marvelous as the works by Michelangelo, the great master during Renaissance period, and another great artistic master Rodin’s sculpture works, and thus collected by may museums in many countries.

The blue-and-white porcelain produced in Dehua civil kilns during Ming and Qing Dynasty portrayed the natural exquisite art image and reflected common people’s sentimental desire, the life customs and aesthetic appeals. The artists of blue-and-white porcelain finished massive drawings abstractly or half-abstractly, applying this method to the artistic practice several hundred years earlier than the modern art master Picasso. Thus Dehua Blue-and-white porcelain has a very high artistic value and cultural status.

 

Section Three

 

Dehua is the birthplace of Chinese ceramic culture. Dehua in Fujian province, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, and Liling in Hunan province are known as three Chinese biggest ancient ceramic capitals. Dehua is not only the biggest production and exporting base of ceramic handicrafts in China, But also one of the ten biggest Chinese production areas of ceramic products. In the new century, inheriting and carrying forward its outstanding traditional achievements, Dehua ceramics endeavors to innovate and improve its models, designs and decorations. In order to satisfy different requirements and artistic tastes of targeted customers in various countries throughout the world, Dehua ceramics manufactures have developed a greater variety of western ceramic arts and crafts. The main products include Santa Claus, decoration with various size and shapes for Christmas trees, the statues of Jesus, Mary, saint infant and angels, exquisite and vivid western ceramic animal crafts, together with vase and a variety of western style tablewares. Therefore, the production of the high-quality porcelain carvings, the western porcelain crafts and the ceramic household wares are simultaneously developed to a wide range. In recent years, Dehua ceramic industry has witnessed its vigorous development and greater prosperity and has won great popularity and is sold well in more than 190 countries all over the world.

 

From its birth in early time to its prosperity nowadays, Dehua ceramics has been consistently focusing on the overseas market and providing practical and beautiful ceramic products for people in the world. Dehua ceramics has a profound influence on the trading through the long ancient “marine Silk Road”. Dehua Kiln ceramics, boasting of its extraordinary skills, high-quality materials, jade-like shining glaze and exquisite decoration, has played a magnificent role and has won an outstanding status in the world ceramics production.