The following images are from my visit to the world famous porcelain city in July 2014. Just a short flight away from Shenzhen, we had a great time and saw so much that it’s hard to pick just a few pics that give a small taste of what we saw. Jingdezhen is a truly amazing place that embodies living history not just for China but for the whole planet as ceramics is one of the oldest human activities and there’s a real sense of this in the town. China was obviously way ahead of the curve making ceramics on an industrial scale. I recommend the trip for anyone interested in the making process, not forgetting Britain’s own industrial heritage at Stoke on Trent.
At the ancient kiln museum all the workers are [sorry!] ancient. Here is a carving demonstration, this pot has not been fired so this is a very skilled job, hence the age perhaps.Yes it’s translucent.more intricate carving on a dry unfired clay body, this can take months so not making a mistake is quite importantmass production Jingdezhen style
Applying decals to bowlsmoving pots [yes unfired] by manual labourmore pots on the movehaving tea with the artistmaking tiles, cigarette essentialthe tile maker’s studiomaking giant pots, connecting sections requires a team of workers [usually topless men with cigarettes]another giant potperformers preparing to demonstrate the porcelain orchestrain the YHA computers speak a universal languagesaggars as plant holdersthe brush shop owner and inspector of brushes, another revered expertthe “antiques” market, best to get there at 4am if at all possible, we made it at 7a view of the hills from the pottery workshop
![At the ancient kiln museum all the workers are [sorry!] ancient. Here is a carving demonstration, this pot has not been fired so this is a very skilled job, hence the age perhaps.](https://rachelceramics.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/j1.jpg)
![moving pots [yes unfired] by manual labour](https://rachelceramics.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/j8.jpg)
![making giant pots, connecting sections requires a team of workers [usually topless men with cigarettes]](https://rachelceramics.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/j14.jpg)
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