Taiwan Today

For centuries, the country called China and its ceramics were synonymous in the thinking of the civilized world. To a considerable extent, that is still the case. Utensils from the ancient potter's wheel are so highly prized that they have become museum pieces and financially beyond the reach of those who seek classic beauty in their dinnerware, vases and other ceramic possessions. Modern potters in free China are endeavoring to meet the demand for a low-cost product reflecting the spirit and fine workmanship of great ceramics from the post. Temptations to copy exactly are resisted; the new art is styled after the old but not slavishly so. The teapots below illustrate this trend. That on the right is Ming Dynasty, that on the left from Taipei's China Pottery & Porcelain Co. Both have graceful bodies, squared-off handles, and blue cloud-and-dragon design on white background.

The Ching Dynasty bowls (top) are decorated in cloisonne enamel colors. The design shows a pair of spring swallows resting on a branch of apricot tree. Drooping willow trees form a frame around them. The two modern bowls (bottom) also take their theme from nature. One has a peony in full bloom, the other a hilly landscape.

 

 

 

 

High relief design of scroll-like flowers and leaves lends a delicate touch to large vase (right) from the Ching Dynasty. The high-bellied vase of the China Pottery and Porcelain Company (left) has a chiseled bamboo pattern carved in low relief.

 

 

 

 

The incense burner has offered great inspiration to ceramics craftsmen. The ornate angular burner (top, left) with a design of clouds, dragons and trigrams, was made in the Ming Dynasty. Bottom, left, it is a Northern Sung container in crackled glaze, shaped like an ancient sacrificial vessel. Modern incense burners include one in a floral design resembling a tripod (top, right). The other is fashioned after ancient Yin-Shang dynasty bronzeware.