Tags: Ching Dynasty | pottery | Shiwan

This group of objects was fired by the Shiwan pottery craft master Wen Rubi during the Qing dynasty. Rubi Wen devoted his whole life to promote Shiwan Pottery. His craftsmanship was consummate, and every work was lively and powerful. The subject of the gods of the sun and moon was adapted from the story ”The Peach Flower Lady Fights Lord Zhou.” It was said that the Peach flower Lady and Lord Zhou were a young girl and young boy who waited on the Jade Emperor. Because of their constant fighting, they were sent to the earth, but they are still fighting constantly without ever breaking their relationship. Therefore, the pottery masters never separate them. Anything that is related to the gods of the sun and moon appear in pairs to symbolize their close but argumentative relationship. Shiwanyao was a famous pottery style of Guangdong. There is a saying: “Shiwan pottery, top of the world”. The body of a Shiwanyao artifact is heavy, the clay is dark, and the glaze is thick and glossy. In the middle of the Qing dynasty, the Taiping rebellions occupied southeast China for more than ten years. At this time the pottery factory in Jindezheng, and Jiangxi was seriously destroyed, forcing many skilled potters to move south. Because of this the pottery industry in Shiwan, and Guangdung developed. The large size of this pair of gods of sun and moon shows the high level of skill of the potters. It is a fine example of Shiwan pottery.

National Museum of History