Dehua White Porcelain: White Beauty Dazzles the World

德化白瓷：那抹白惊艳世界

Over 400 pieces or sets of Dehua white porcelain were on display in the National Museum of China in Beijing， with the exhibition running from August 26， 2023 for three months.

According to young ceramic artist Chen Chao， Dehua porcelain is extraordinarily pure and white because the kaolin in Dehua county in Fujian has a low percentage of iron， earning it the French name “Blanc de Chine”， or “white from China”.

Sitting in Quanzhou city， where the ancient Maritime Silk Road started， Dehua white porcelain has sold like hotcakes at home and abroad because of its exquisite quality since the Song Dynasty （960—1279）. In 2006， Dehua porcelain firing technique was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Despite the past glories， Dehua craftsmen never stop refining their skills. One impressive skill is “the eggshell technique”.

The eggshell technique dates back to the Ming Dynasty. With the technique improved by generations of craftsmen， today’s eggshell porcelain can be made as thin as paper and gauze.

400余件（组）德化白瓷作品自2023年8月26日起在北京中国国家博物馆展出，该展览为期三个月。

据青年陶艺家陈超介绍，德化白瓷色泽纯净无瑕、犹如白玉，这得益于其用料——福建德化县的高岭土，它的含铁量较低。德化白瓷也因此在世界上享有“中国白”的美称。

德化县位于福建泉州，这里是古代海上丝绸之路的起点。自宋代（960—1279）以来，德化白瓷就因其精美的特质而畅销海内外。2006年，德化瓷烧制技艺列入国家非物质文化遗产保护

名录。

德化白瓷历久弥新，这有赖于德化工匠一直以来对于技艺追求精益求精。德化瓷烧制技艺中有一项令人叹服的技艺，即“薄胎技艺”。

薄胎技艺可以追溯到明代。历代德化工匠不断改进薄胎技艺，时至今日，依托这一技艺烧制而成的瓷器艺术作品可以薄如纸纱。

Standing before an artwork named “Paper” at the exhibition， many of the attendees wondered how it was made. “First， a layer of kaolin is applied to sheets of paper. Then， the paper is heated in a kiln for several days until it turns into ashes. Finally， what’s left is kaolin. This is how the artwork was made，” explained Chen.

However， this is much easier said than done. Careful attention is given to make sure the clay stays the same as when it was sent to the kiln.

“The temperature and formula of the clay are key. Every component in the clay has its function，” said Su Xianzhong， the artist who created “Paper”. “The failure rate is extremely high， so every work consumes the craftsman’s time and energy.” He added that even a small artwork like “Paper” needs continuous focus for a whole week.

Chen said that the refined eggshell technique is just one of the achievements that Chinese porcelain craftsmen have made on the long path of innovation.

“By combining traditional Chinese artistic skills with modern disciplines like material science and humanities， Blanc de Chine will continue to enhance the cultural confidence of the Chinese people as they create even more outstanding works，” said Chen.

站在《纸》这件展出的艺术作品前，许多参展者好奇它是怎样制成的。陈超解释道：“首先，工匠们会在纸上平铺一层高岭土。接着，把附有高岭土的纸放入窑中进行烧制，直至几天之后纸被烧成灰。去纸留瓷，这样，作品《纸》最终就完成了。”

不过，说起来简单，做起来难。要使黏土入窑前后的状态保持一致，需要非常谨慎的操作。

创作作品《纸》的艺术家苏献忠说：“窑内温度控制和黏土混合配方是烧制成功的关键。混合而成的黏土，其中含有的每种成分都有它的作用。烧制失败的概率非常高，每一件作品都饱含着工匠的时间和心血。”苏献忠还说，哪怕像《纸》这样一件小型艺术品，也需要专注做一整周的时间才能完成。

陈超指出，经过改进的薄胎技艺，只是中国陶瓷工匠坚持守正创新达成的伟大艺术成就之一。

“把中国传统美学和工艺与现代学科技艺（比如材料科学和人文科学）相结合，中国陶瓷工匠将会创造出更加出色的德化白瓷，不断增强中国人的文化自信。”陈超说。

Word Bank

formula /'fɔːmjələ/ n. 配方

discipline /'dɪsəplɪn/ n.（尤指高等教育中的）学科