The history of pottery and ceramics art spans 6,000 years. It makes up an important part of Taiwanese and traditional Chinese culture. During the Age of Exploration, westerners were fascinated by this form of art and traveled along the silk road in order to trade for ceramics and pottery. Since then, pottery has become a symbol of Chinese culture. Pottery has made art more influential in Chinese culture and has helped spread it around the globe.
In Taiwan, pottery was originally created for practical uses such as storage. When the KMT (Kuo Min Tang) government moved to Taiwan, some pottery makers also moved from China with them. At this time, pottery transformed from simply a daily commodity into an art form and became more of a pursuit of beauty. It has thrived in Taiwan because of more than its cultural significance but also because of the country’s large quantity of clay.
Over time, pottery has become less popular. Fewer and fewer people know how pottery is made nor have an interest in it as an art form. We, Taiwanese, are struggling to pass the art of pottery on to the next generation. Our group thinks that it is very important for people to sense the urgency of this issue and wish to lift pottery out of its forgotten status and into the spotlight of Taiwanese culture.
Out of our team, most of us tried pottery-making when we were young, and we all agree that it is one of our best childhood memories. It is fascinating to make a container that can be used for carrying food or water out of clay with your own hands. When I finished my first pot, I considered it as one of my greatest accomplishments. I still use it as a mug today.
We all know pottery has an influential impact on our culture, but none of us know much about it. Therefore we have decided to research this topic. Besides understanding more about this art, we hope to promote it and to educate people about pottery. Additionally, we happen to know numerous professionals in the field. We plan to interview them with the goal of identifying how the art of making pottery can be preserved and promoted.
Sadly due to the pandemic, fewer visitors are visiting pottery shops and many potters have lost their jobs. We hope once our website is done, we can encourage more foreign and local visitors to travel to Yingge to experience the joy of pottery making and to appreciate the form of art as a whole.
From our project, you will learn about the history of pottery, the process of making it, its uses, and how it can be promoted moving forward.
