Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Jingdezhen ‘Yuanhua Tang’ Ceramics: 40 Years of “, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
On October 29, 2023, Yuanhua Tang Ceramics in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, celebrated its 40th anniversary, delighting ceramic enthusiasts and fans. To mark the occasion, Xiang Yuanhua, an inheritor of imperial kiln ceramic craftsmanship and founder of the Yuanhua Tang brand, hosted a grand and unique celebration.
Celebration Activities
At the Yuanhua Tang headquarters in Zhushan District, Jingdezhen, Xiang Yuanhua interacted with dozens of traditional ceramic enthusiasts from across the country. He displayed ancient ceramics from his own collection and those of friends, allowing fans to appreciate them up close. Drawing on his 40 years of experience in traditional ceramic production, he guided attendees in understanding the artistic aesthetics and philosophical ideas embedded in ancient Chinese ceramics, highlighting their exquisite craftsmanship and the profound concept of harmony between humanity and nature. During the celebration, a wood-fired kiln was opened, providing a detailed demonstration of the kiln's structure, firing methods, and the production process of wood-fired ceramics. This gave attendees valuable insights, helping them distinguish between commercial hype and traditional craftsmanship. As a newly elected vice-president unit of the Jingdezhen Ceramics Chamber of Commerce, Yuanhua Tang diligently adhered to the chamber's integrity pact, guiding consumers toward rational consumption and fostering a healthy business environment in Jingdezhen's ceramic industry.
According to reports, over 200 people attended the 40th anniversary ceremony, including Zhang Chunping, President of the Jingdezhen Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association; Peng Zhongtian, Director of the Jingdezhen Soft Power Research Institute and cultural economist; Wu Lang, Director of the Jingdezhen Ceramics Research Institute; ceramic enthusiasts from across the country; journalists from various media platforms; and the founding team of the Yuanhua Tang brand. In their speeches, guests praised Yuanhua Tang for its 40-year commitment to traditional ceramic craftsmanship. They noted that the brand has not only preserved the manual production processes, formulas, and techniques of classic Chinese ceramics but also innovated many production technologies, creating classic ceramic works that belong to this era. This has sustained the 'ceramic lineage' of the millennium-old porcelain capital. They commended Yuanhua Tang's meticulous craftsmanship and its successful completion of major national tasks over the past 40 years, contributing to the country's Belt and Road Initiative. The brand's dedication to a single craft for a lifetime serves as a model for all ceramic practitioners and enterprises in Jingdezhen.
Special Guests
Notably, renowned performing artist Kou Zhenhai and calligraphy master Aisin Gioro Pu Zheng, a cousin of the last emperor Puyi, flew in from other cities to attend the celebration. They delivered enthusiastic speeches praising Yuanhua Tang's 40-year alignment with the times, its adherence to tradition while innovating, and its significant contributions to the ceramic industry. Additionally, Xiang Yuanhua's daughter, Xiang Yingzi, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage and successor of the Imperial Kiln·Yuanhua Tang, made her debut at the ceremony. She shared her efforts in carrying forward the tradition and expressed her commitment to living up to expectations.
New Product Launch
The celebration also featured the launch of Yuanhua Tang's new product series, 'Yuanhua Qingyin.' Currently, the traditional ceramic market in Jingdezhen lacks innovation, with products merely stacking various decorative patterns without breakthroughs in materials or techniques. For the ceramic industry, without technological innovation in production and supply-side reform at the product level, simple pattern stacking cannot meet the growing demand for consumption upgrades.
Over the past 40 years, Yuanhua Tang has adhered to the spirit of 'inheriting tradition and innovating,' as inscribed by ceramic master Geng Baochang. By fully mastering traditional manual ceramic techniques and leveraging modern technology and material updates, the brand has successfully fired a series of innovative underglaze decorative techniques, including peacock blue glaze blue-and-white and peacock green blue-and-white, collectively named the 'Yuanhua Qingyin' series. The brand's hallmark has also been updated accordingly. This breakthrough in technique has transformed the monotonous gray-and-white glaze decoration of traditional blue-and-white porcelain, pioneering the use of peacock green, peacock blue, and other decorative methods. The resulting blue-and-white glaze appears vivid and lifelike, like reflections in water. Xing Hao, Executive Deputy Director of the Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo Executive Committee, excitedly remarked, 'Yuanhua Qingyin' is an unprecedented innovative product that opens a new decorative era for Jingdezhen ceramics, holding epoch-making significance and value for the entire industry. (Text and photos by Zhang Wenying)
Source: Read the original article | Published: October 30, 2023