(Leon Natker is a University of New Mexico graduate student who has worked as
an archaeologist in China. During his travels he visited Chen Lu, and
he contributed this essay and his photographs to the online exhibit.)
The people of Chen Lu are said to "eat pottery." While this is certainly an
exaggeration, a visit to Chen Lu will convince you that the residents "live"
pottery. Almost every household in Chen Lu is involved in the production of
pottery. The walkways are lined with mosaics made of broken pottery, and walls
in the village are constructed of pots left over from production. Discarded
pottery forms and tools are everywhere.
Located in the Tongchuan district of Shaanxi province, 130 kilometer (80 miles) north of modern Xi'an, Chen Lu is the last remaining pottery village of what was once the most important production area in northwest China. Just 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the famous Yaozhou kiln, Chen Lu was producing pottery centuries before the Yaozhou kiln came into existence. The earliest evidence of ceramic production in Chen Lu comes from the Northern Zhou dynasty (557 to 581 CE).
Modern Xi'an, home of the terracotta warriors buried with the emperor Qin, was the site of the ancient capital of Chang-an, home to nine different dynasties. Sitting at the convergence of the Wei and Jing Rivers just north of the Yellow River, Shaanxi is an ideal area for pottery production. The loess plains are rich in clay deposits, including the kaolin needed for the production of porcelain. The surrounding mountains have many deposits of lead, copper, and iron oxides, all needed for the rich variety of glazes that have characterized Chinese ceramics for centuries.
During the Tang dynasty Chen Lu produced elegant
celadon bowls, using molds to create
peony and lotus patterns.
Chen Lu continues to produce celadon today, using the ancient molds or copies
of those molds. If you visit Chen Lu you can still purchase celadon like
that produced more than 1000 years ago. The bowl shown below
was purchased in the village.
A modern celadon bowl from Chen Lu. For a side view of the bowl, click
here.
The recent years have not been kind to Chen Lu. Economic downturns, along with competition from Jingdezhen and Hong Kong, have decreased demand for the town's pottery. Many of Chen Lu's young people have gone off to big cities such as Xi'an, to pursue higher education and better-paying jobs. Many of the old potters don't have apprentices. Yet somehow the village's pottery-making tradition continues to this day. If you have the chance to visit Xi'an and can spare a day, visit Chen Lu. It will give you a chance to see a 1500 year old tradition in action.
See source code for photo credits and copyright information. Page last revised on October 16, 2014. Please report problems to toh@unm.edu
