Introduction to Jianshui Purple Pottery
Jianshui Purple Pottery is a traditional folk craft from Jianshui County, Yunnan Province, originating in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It is made using five-colored clay (red, yellow, green, brown, white) found near Jianshui, undergoing processes such as calligraphy, engraving, filling, scraping, firing, and polishing. The pottery has a deep purple color with snow-white patterns, producing a sound like stone when tapped. Among them, those with deep black embedded with white are particularly prized.
The variety of Jianshui Purple Pottery is extensive, including cooking utensils, tea sets, flower pots, and display items for desks. Most designs are simple yet elegant, unique in style. When used as steamers, they can cook chicken, pigeons, and other meats exceptionally fresh. Jianshui Purple Pottery uses the locally abundant red, yellow, purple, green, and white clays. The colors are typically red with white flowers or black with white flowers, or white with red, yellow, or blue flowers.
Product Features
Due to the unique process of unglazed polishing, various types of purple pottery have features such as acid and alkali resistance, breathability, moisture-proofing, and heat preservation. As a result, teapots do not alter the taste of tea, and tea jars do not change the color of stored tea. Flower pots prevent root rot, and vases keep flowers fresh and fragrant for longer. Utensils preserve food freshness even after a day. Particularly, steam pots retain nutrients and produce delicious and tasty food.
Historical Folklore
The ceramic tradition in Jianshui has a long and illustrious history, being an integral part of China's ceramic industry. More than 3,500 years ago, primitive pottery-making emerged, leading to relatively sophisticated pottery by the Han Dynasty and mature celadon production by the Song Dynasty. From the Yuan to the Ming dynasties, the blue-and-white porcelain industry flourished, making Jianshui one of the centers of ceramic production in Yunnan Province, second only to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province. Its products were widely distributed within and outside the province and had a significant impact, becoming part of China's national ceramics. Starting from the Qing Dynasty, Jianshui became known for its distinctive purple pottery, celebrated for its unique calligraphic and painting styles. Before the liberation, Jianshui Purple Pottery enjoyed a high reputation and market value, with Xiang Fengchun's pottery pieces commanding prices equivalent to gold. Both nobles and commoners took pride in owning pottery crafted by Xiang Fengchun. Jianshui Purple Pottery combines calligraphy, painting, carving, inlaying, firing, and polishing, making it a gem in Chinese folk art.
Awards and Honors
The representative figure of Jianshui Purple Pottery is Master Chen Shaokang. Born into a family of potters in Wan Yao Village, Lian'an Town, Jianshui County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, he is now 69 years old. He served as the former deputy plant manager of the Jianshui Fine Art Pottery Factory. Proficient in calligraphy, painting, carving design, and familiar with the entire process of pottery making in Jianshui, he has won the “Hundred Flowers Award” and the “Outstanding Creation Second Prize” twice from the Ministry of Light Industry. He was received by national leaders such as Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Li Peng three times between 1979 and 1991. In 1995, he was honored with the title of “Folk Art Craftsman” by UNESCO and the Chinese Folk Artists Association.