Tao Garden Gems: A Collection of Ceramic Art from the Yixing Ceramic Museum of China

Author: Zhou Xiaodong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: This book collects 96 representative purple clay wares from various historical periods and categories in the Yixing Ceramic Museum (each accompanied by name, author, era, and introduction to main characteristics), as well as 464 representative works of 162 renowned contemporary purple clay artists (each accompanied by author photos, short biographies, seals, and introductions to works' characteristics). The book also includes articles introducing Yixing ceramics. The title of the book was inscribed by Pan Zhenzhou, Director of the National Museum of China. As a unique cultural phenomenon, Yixing ceramic culture has a profound historical origin and rich connotations. The Yixing Ceramic Museum has long been an important creative and practical training base for ceramic artists both at home and abroad. Its complete facilities and strong academic atmosphere provide a broad platform for ceramic artists to improve their skills and showcase their achievements. Shanghai Ci Shu Press has recently launched a large-scale illustrated reference book, Gathering Pearls from the Ceramic Garden—A Collection of Ceramic Art from the Yixing Ceramic Museum, compiled by the Yixing Ceramic Museum, allowing readers to gain a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of the long-standing Yixing ceramic culture and the brilliant ceramic art of contemporary artists. Gathering Pearls from the Ceramic Garden, with its title inscribed by Pan Zhenzhou, Director of the National Museum of China, showcases the finest pieces of both museum-held and contemporary ceramic art. The index at the back of the book facilitates easy retrieval of the biographies and works of the included master artists and workers. The selected works from the museum collection of the Yixing Ceramic Museum, representing various historical periods and categories of Yixing ceramics, are all extremely valuable. The five renowned types of Yixing ceramics—purple clay, celadon, even-ware, stoneware, and polychrome ware—are celebrated both at home and abroad. Yixing purple clay is considered a masterpiece of ceramics. The representative work of the famous female artist Yang Fengnian, the "Wind-Curled Melon Teapot," is the only piece collected by museums both domestically and internationally; another three works by the master Gu Jingzhou, such as the "Teapot with a Ring Handle," are also unique to domestic museums. Although celadon may not shine as brightly as purple clay, it possesses equally distinctive characteristics. The "Kiln-Transformed Sheep Vessel" by the senior craftsman Wu Keqiang, with its traditional elegant shape and vibrant kiln-transformed glaze, has become an invaluable heirloom. The "Under-Glaze Potted Patterns" of even-ware are a unique decorative technique of the "Ceramic Capital." Yang Yaosheng's "Potted Patterns Great Jar" is the most complete and representative work of the existing Yixing potted pattern craft. Stoneware, as a new variety of Yixing ceramics, combines the strengths of both pottery and porcelain, featuring vibrant colors and durability. The calligraphy hanging plate by the master Xu Anbi, with its bold and skillful pottery carving, showcases the typical style of contemporary stoneware art. Polychrome ware is a type of pottery decoration created on the basis of traditional glazed pottery. The "Lying Leopard" by the ceramic sculptor Zhou Guozhen, with its realistic art glaze and abstract design, has become a notable work in decorative ceramic art. The contemporary ceramic art section includes 464 representative works of 162 outstanding mid-to-high-level professionals, young and middle-aged ceramic artists, and influential folk purple clay artists. Each selected artist is briefly introduced with their artistic career and unique creative style. They skillfully utilize the characteristics of various ceramics to express the charm and connotations of their works, continuously innovating while inheriting traditional techniques, resulting in works with novel concepts and distinctive styles.