China's Porcelain Capital : The Rise, Fall and Reinvention of Ceramics in Jingdezhen

Maris Boyd Gillette's groundbreaking study tells the story of Jingdezhen, China's porcelain capital, from its origins in 1004 in Song dynasty China to the present day. Gillette explores how Jingdezhen has been affected by state involvement in porcelain production, particularly during the long 20th century. She considers how the Chinese government has consumed, invested in, taxed and managed the local ceramics industry, and the effects of this state intervention on ceramists' lives, their local environment and the nature of the goods they produce. Gillette traces how Jingdezhen experienced the transition from imperial rule to state ownership under communism, the changing fortunes of the ceramics industry in the early 21st century, the decay and decline that accompanied privatisation, and a revival brought about by an entrepreneurial culture focusing on the manufacture of highly-prized 'art porcelain'. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Contents Tables and Illustrations Acknowledgements Notes on Names and Transliterations 1 The World’s Most Famous Ceramics and the People Who Made Them The basics: Clay, fuel, and transportation Research materials, methods, and scope Jingdezhen’s longue durée 2 Creating a Porcelain Capital, Prehistory to 1785 Early Jingdezhen The imperial manufactory and rise of the porcelain capital 3 Decline and Disarray, 1780–1948 Government disinvestment in Jingdezhen (1786–1948) Foreign porcelain (1850–1945) Ceramists respond (1800–1948) 4 Production and Politics, 1949–1972 Economic recovery, 1949–1952 From capitalism to socialism The Great Leap Forward Economics or politics? The porcelain capital’s Cultural Revolution 5 Dual-Track Porcelain, 1973–1993 Reviving the porcelain industry Deng Xiaoping’s ‘Reform and Opening’ Plan and market together: The early years Policy changes and competitor industries, 1984–1993 Private porcelain manufacturing expands 6 Porcelain Capital No More, 1994–2010 Decollectivization Porcelain workers during deindustrialization Repurposing former SOEs and collectives Private enterprise: Historic replicas Porcelain fakes on the art market New-style artist entrepreneurs Investing in Jingdezhen 7 From Porcelain Capital to Heritage Site Officials redevelop the porcelain capital Public opinion about Jingdezhen’s redevelopment Private entrepreneurs and artistic residencies Local perspectives on visiting artists The porcelain tourism capital Glossary Notes Bibliography Index Review: "Gillette explores the impact of state involvement in Jungdezhen's porcelain production, particularly during the momentous 20th century. She considers how the Chinese government has consumed, invested in, taxed, and managed the ceramics industry, and the effects of state intervention on ceramists' lives, their local environment, and the nature of the goods they produce."--Page [4] of cover