About a century ago, the porcelain crafts from Jingdezhen in east China's Jiangxi Province were among the most sought products in Europe, with nobility paying vast sums to obtain the treasures.
Mass production has seen the industry dim in modern times, but, with the help of supporters like Rose Kerr, a retired museum administrator who has dedicated several decades to Chinese ceramics, the region is looking to revitalize its ancient tradition and reclaim global fame.
"As the world center of porcelain, Jingdezhen's name is known all over the globe," Kerr said. "I think the city's mission at the moment is to build on the successes and to make the ancient foundations better known, and do it in a way which respects history."
Jingdezhen has a history of porcelain-making that dates back more than 1,000 years. In the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it was not only the home of imperial kilns, but also a center for porcelain exports. It is estimated that some 100 million pieces of china were sold to Europe from the 16th to the 18th century.
Overshadowed by the development of industrial ceramics of western countries, the glory of Jingdezhen started to fade in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In recent decades, other Chinese cities have sprung up as major production centers of ceramics, such as Foshan and Chaozhou that mass produce pottery goods.
FINDING A CHAMPION
Kerr's effort to help revitalize Jingdezhen's porcelain trade earned her honorary citizenship to the city on Monday.
The former keeper of the Far Eastern Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Kerr became a lecturer, writer and independent scholar after retiring in 2003. As an expert in ancient ceramics, she has visited Jingdezhen eight times over the past three decades.
She said she is fascinated by the rich store of ceramic relics in Jingdezhen and has developed a strong emotional attachment to the city.
"It was a backward city, which was very dirty and full of factories and smoke, but still an exciting place to come to as the birthplace of Chinese porcelain," Kerr said, recalling her first visit to Jingdezhen in the 1980s.
Now "it has become a cleaner and more modern city. It makes contemporary porcelain but it does not neglect its past," she said.
BOOSTING CULTURE, BUSINESS
Things are looking up for Jingdezhen, as the city has been working hard to tap into its roots while seeking to expand its market.
Following an archeological survey last june in Jinkeng village, administered by Jingdezhen, the Dongjiao Center was established in the village as a private non-profit organization to promote porcelain research and protect porcelain relics discovered.
