Over 400 pieces or sets of Dehua white porcelain (德化白瓷) are on display in the National Museum of China in Beijing, with the exhibition running from Aug 26 for three months.

400余件（组）德化白瓷作品自8月26日起在中国国家博物馆展出，本次展览为期三个月。

 

Dehua white porcelain is famous for its pure white color. According to Chen Chao, an artist dedicated to porcelain research, Dehua porcelain is extraordinarily pure and white because the kaolin (高岭土) in Dehua county in Fujian has a low percentage of iron, making the porcelain stainless (无瑕的) like white jade, earning it the French name “Blanc de Chine”, or “white from China”.

德化白瓷因其白、透、润而名扬天下。据青年陶艺家陈超介绍，德化白瓷色泽纯净无暇、有如白玉，这得益于其用料——福建德化地区高岭土，含铁量较低。德化白瓷也因此在世界上享誉着“中国白”的美称。

 

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

不仅如此，德化县位于福建泉州，这里是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而畅销海内外。2006年，德化瓷烧制技艺列入国家首批非物质文化遗产保护名录。

 

Despite the past glories, Dehua craftsmen (工匠) never stop refining (精进) their skills. One impressive skill is “the eggshell technique” (薄胎技艺).

德化白瓷艺术历久弥新，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，最令人叹服的莫过于“薄胎技艺”。

 

The eggshell technique in Dehua 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 (薄纱).

“薄胎技艺”明代以来就有。历代德化工匠不断对“薄胎技艺”进行挖掘、改进、发展，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 could be made from porcelain. “First, a layer of kaolin is applied to sheets of paper. Then, the paper is heated in a kiln (窑) for several days until it turns into ashes (灰). Finally, what’s left is kaolin. This is how the artwork was made,” explained Chen.

站在《纸》这件展出的艺术作品前，观众无不叹服这样的工艺是怎样造就的。陈超解释道：“首先，工匠们会将一层高岭土附在一张纸上。接着，附在纸上的高岭土将被放入窑中进行烧制，直至几天之后所附之纸被烧成灰。去纸留瓷，这样，作品《纸》最终就完成了。”

 

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

不过，说起来简单做起来难。保持黏土入窑前后状态的一致，是需要非常小心谨慎的。

 

“The temperature and formula (配方) of the clay are key. Every component (成分) 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.

“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，其中含有的每一种成分，都有它的作用，”作品《纸》的作者，中国陶瓷艺术大师、蕴玉瓷庄第四代传人苏献忠说，“烧制失败的几率非常高，每一件作品都饱含着工匠的心血和时间。”苏献忠还说，哪怕像《纸》这样一件小规模作品，都需要花费一整周的时间专注去做。

 

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.

陈超指出，经过改进发展的“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。

 

“By combining traditional Chinese artistic skills with modern disciplines (学科) 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.

“将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，拥有‘中国白’美称的德化白瓷艺术，未来也将继续探索更加巧夺天工的技艺，不断加强我们的文化自信。”陈超说。

 

以上文章内容选自《21世纪英文报》高二921期