History of Chinese Ceramics

Author: Wu Renjing / Edited by Xu Shu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-09-01
Features: Excerpt: The Origin of Pottery in the Primitive Era—Suiren and Shennong as the Forefathers of Pottery—Huangdi Establishing the Post of—The Myth of Ning Feng—The Pottery Made by Ning Feng and Kunwu—The Decoration of Pottery
The ancient people lived in caves and moved about in the wilderness, eating raw meat and drinking blood, no different from birds and beasts, with no knowledge at all. Their efforts were mostly centered on food. Since food was the focus of their efforts at the time, the primitive people must have devoted all their energy to it. Thus, utensils like pots and jars gradually emerged due to the urgent need.
Because of the illnesses caused by eating raw food, the primitive people sought methods for cooking. Due to the easy spoilage of food, they devised ways to preserve it. Initially, they kneaded earth into shapes, dried them in the sun to make earthenware, and later, during the time of Shennong and Fuxi, they dug pits as kilns, fired the earth to create unglazed pottery (dried earthenware that was fired without glaze, called ""), which was used for cooking and storage.
The Lu Shi records: "Suiren molded metal and clay into pots," and the Zhou Shu states: "Shennong invented pottery." The Wuyuan says: "Shennong invented jars." From these books, we can see that Suiren, who drilled holes in trees to make fire, and Shennong, who invented jars, brought great blessings to the people by allowing them to store food and prevent spoilage. How great were their benefits to humanity? Moreover, it can be inferred that before Suiren and Shennong, there must have been rudimentary forms resembling pots and jars, which served as the foundation for their inventions. They adopted these old methods and added new innovations to create pots and jars, a fact we can conclude with certainty. Thus, it is also evident that the origin of pottery in China dates back even further, to before Suiren and Shennong.
However, during the ancient times, culture was not yet developed, and historical records were scarce, leaving us unable to fully understand the circumstances of that era and provide concrete evidence, which is a pity! Yet, the ancient people, living alongside birds and beasts in a state of ignorance, managed to rise above their surroundings and invent pottery. The ingenuity of their minds truly amazes and inspires us!
Around the time of Shennong and Fuxi, pottery was primarily focused on food, with little attention to other uses. Later, its applications expanded to daily utensils, funerary goods, religious offerings, and even construction materials. Examining the progression of pottery development provides clear evidence. During the time of Huangdi, he established clothing, built palaces and houses, created writing and arithmetic, and mastered archery, marking a period of unprecedented cultural prosperity. Pottery also advanced rapidly in line with this growth.
The Records of the Grand Historian states: "Huangdi appointed Ning Feng as the (pottery official)," and the Lüshi Chunqiu says: "Huangdi had Ning Feng and Kunwu make pottery." The Shuowen Jiezi mentions: "Kunwu made pottery." From this, we can see that Huangdi established the post of to specialize in pottery production, leveraging state power to manage it. The level of pottery development and its importance in daily life at the time can be imagined. This laid the foundation for the later establishment of imperial kilns.
What kind of pottery Ning Feng and Kunwu made is now unknown. The Biographies of Immortals records: "Ning Feng, as the under Huangdi, had someone pass by and manage his fire. He could produce five-colored smoke, which he taught to Ning Feng. Ning Feng built a fire and burned himself, rising with the smoke." This is a fantastical and unprovable account. It is likely that during Huangdi's time, as palace construction flourished and daily life became more complex, Ning Feng and Kunwu's pottery production would have prioritized building materials like tiles and bricks, followed by daily utensils like bowls and plates.
Additionally, many ancient texts mention the evolution of pottery in China. The Wuyuan states: "Xuan Yuan invented bowls and plates," the Zengzhu says: "Bottles were invented by Shennong," and the Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals mentions: "Shaohao had five artisans, including one who worked with clay, called Chaozhi." While these accounts lack a systematic order, they still give us an idea of the general development of ancient pottery.