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Inside the making

From porcelain slip to the kiln

A studio-side view of forming, firing and the porcelain body before decoration takes the foreground.

A porcelain artisan shaping a large vessel in a Jingdezhen workshop
Shaping a large porcelain form in Jingdezhen

Studio archive · Jingdezhen

The object begins at human scale.

Hands, tools, liquid porcelain and heat shape the vessel before its decoration takes the foreground.

For the making history of a particular work, ask us for the record available with that piece.

Eight views from the workshop

People, material, heat and finished form.

A porcelain artisan refining a vessel by hand
Refining the form
A porcelain artisan shaping clay by hand
Forming by hand
Porcelain slip being poured into a working vessel
Porcelain slip
Close view of a white porcelain vessel form
Refined form
A kiln worker arranging porcelain vessels for firing
Loading the kiln
Porcelain vessels inside a glowing kiln
At the kiln
White porcelain vessels after firing
Fired vessels
Porcelain vessels arranged in a Jingdezhen workshop
Workshop vessels

Then look at the object

Ethereal Wings · CD-035

Move around the cup and saucer, from the complete setting to profile, underside, decoration, mark and presentation.

Open the work

01

Silhouette

See the balance between cup, handle, foot and saucer.

02

Decoration

Follow the composition as it moves across the curved surface.

03

Object details

Move closer to the underside, mark and presentation.