[Explanation] The thousand-year-old shipwreck "Black Stone" discovered in Indonesia in 1998 is the earliest evidence of direct trade between China and the Arab region.
Li Jianmao, vice president of the China Society of Ancient Ceramics, said in an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Dongxiwen" that more than 56,000 pieces of Chinese Tang Dynasty Changsha kiln porcelain were loaded on the "Black Stone" wreck, which is an important witness of cultural exchanges between China and the West.
[Concurrent] Li Jianmao, Vice President of China Ancient Ceramics Society
In fact, Changsha kiln has a kiln for a long time. It began to burn porcelain in the Eastern Han Dynasty. We know that it is Chinese porcelain. The mature period began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It can be seen that its firing history is very long.
[Explanation] According to historical records, Changsha kiln was originally a peripheral kiln of Yuezhou kiln. After the "Anshi Rebellion", the Tang Dynasty kiln workers moved south here, and Changsha kiln gradually created and formed a unique color porcelain firing technique.
Li Jianmao said that although Changsha kiln has been engaged in the production of porcelain for more than 100 years, it has taken advantage of the Maritime Silk Road to create a unique way to produce export-oriented products that incorporate foreign cultural elements according to the preferences of buyers. The "leader" of porcelain export.
[Concurrent] Li Jianmao, Vice President of China Ancient Ceramics Society
The entire existence of Changsha kiln should be more than 100 years. It can be said to be short-lived, but the flowers (flowers) it blooms are very beautiful. In the history of Chinese ceramics or in the history of cultural exchanges, it has drawn a heavy brushstroke. .
[Explanation] Li Jianmao believes that Changsha kiln used calligraphy and painting for porcelain decoration and spread Chinese culture in the form of art, which showed China's strong economic strength and cultural confidence at that time.
At the same time, there are also indications that in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the Arabs were active in Changsha and Dongting Lake area, and they should have participated in the design and creation of Changsha kiln products for export, which can be called "customized" production, creating a precedent in the decorative art of Chinese porcelain.
[Concurrent] Li Jianmao, Vice President of China Ancient Ceramics Society
We not only bring Chinese culture abroad, but also produce according to the styles and patterns that foreigners need for export.
These patterns actually brought some Western culture to China. At that time, many of them also looked good. We also started to produce and sell domestically according to those patterns. Then, with this kind of culture, some Western cultures of the Western Regions also began to spread in China. .
[Explanation] Li Jianmao said that when Changsha kiln was spread to the outside world, it was also influenced by foreign cultures. The elements of Indian Buddhist culture, Persian culture, and Islamic culture were used for my use, and they were integrated and presented on porcelain, reflecting the openness and tolerance of Chinese and Western cultures. The eclectic character is an indispensable witness for the study of Sino-foreign cultural exchanges.
[Concurrent] Li Jianmao, Vice President of China Ancient Ceramics Society
A Japanese ceramicist named San Shangnan said that the cultural exchange between China and the West in ancient times was written on Chinese porcelain.
The tea was drunk, the clothes were worn out, and only the porcelain was still shining.
Reporter Liu Shuangshuang Deng Xia Xu Zhixiong reports from Changsha
Responsible editor: [Luo Pan]