Experts and government officials cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the Shanxi ceramics exhibition in Beijing. Photo: Courtesy of China Arts Foundation

Through Beijing China Arts Foundation, ancient Shanxi ceramics exhibited at the Beijing Poly Theatre on November 23.

The strong and stylish character of Shanxi ceramics was not well known or even shown to the public for decades until the Beijing China Arts Foundation (CAF) and Wangye Museum cooperated to celebrate the province's great cultural and technical achievements.

The ceramics exhibition's first stop was not Beijing but Shenzhen in Guangdong Province in June, where 215 Shanxi ceramics from the Song (960-1279) to the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties were displayed.

As the second stop, Beijing has some of the same exhibits, but on a smaller scale of 128 items. Yet this is still the first time Beijing has hosted Shanxi ceramics of such magnitude.

All the well-preserved pottery reflects the variety and advanced technology of 12th-19th century Shanxi, coming from Datong to Jincheng, an area of 156,000 square kilometers.

What differentiates Shanxi from other ceramics are its multiple types and styles, said Yan Yan, curator of the private Wangye Museum in Shenzhen that provides all the exhibits.

"Normally Shanxi ceramics are being mentioned and exhibited alongside neighboring provinces like Henan," he said. "The amount of existing Shanxi ceramics is huge, yet they are all being mixed in with other ceramics."

A Shanxi ceramic piece sold for about 5.5 million yuan ($900,000) at auction in Hong Kong two months ago, he said.

The history of Shanxi ceramics can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-906). "Massive coal resources made Shanxi an ideal place for making ceramics," Yen said. "But these days Shanxi does not have any kilns because of the monopoly on production of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province."

Behind this remarkable exhibition is the firm support of the CAF that sponsors the activity. CAF is a non-profit organization dedicated to organizing and supporting music, the arts, education and charity, from China and the world. Every year, the foundation initiates activities that promote international art interactions that boost the creative spirit of Chinese artists.

Through supporting the exhibition, the CAF seeks to enlighten visitors with the variety of Shanxi pottery culture and venerability of Chinese culture.

Since its establishment, CAF has been dedicated to supporting all kinds of interactive arts activities with the aim of escalating public understanding and taste for the arts as well as creating international platforms for presenting traditional Chinese culture. The CAF mission is to boost the development of the Chinese culture and art industry.

The Foundation is supported by a growing number of distinguished honorary council members and a board of directors who are passionately committed to its cause.

CAF, Caijing Magazine and Charity Carnival supported the China Philanthropy Forum on November 18. Philanthropists from around the world including former US President Bill Clinton attended the event to discuss the notion of the global public interest and to propel its development in China.

Global Times