Week 8: Trip to ACM

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I don’t know why, but the broken ceramic pieces were calling out my name.

I think it’s just my personality and aesthetics to be drawn to the mundane and unloved.

I feel like each broken piece of pottery and ceramic has a story behind it. And each piece is trying to tell us something about it’s journey. Even the tour guide merely mentioned the broken ceramics as a passing remark.

The key thing that really piqued my interest was the white-blue ceramic pieces. I was wondering what kind of white-blue ceramics were they, and if there was any chance that they were Chinoiserie works?

Well, long story short, they were made long before the Chinoiserie movement, so they probably aren’t.

Nonetheless, when I look at these broken ceramic pieces, a hundred questions run through my mind.

Why aren’t they shiny? Is this a sign that they are not top-notch luxury items? Or are they actually top-notch luxury items and they don’t shine because of water damage? Is this blue considered vibrant or faded? Was this a regular rice bowl that the traders ate with? Or was this precious cargo that was mishandled during transportation? Was this even during the period where white-blue ceramics were considered valuable?

I remember a time when I could not appreciate white-blue ceramics… I see them all the time in my kitchen!

Yet, something really called out to me in these pieces.

Maybe its the delicate floral pattern depicted?

It might be. On closer inspection, I do quite like the patterns on these pieces… The diagonal lines contrasted with organic floral, leaves and vines… The individual pieces balancing white and blue, how some of the pieces were more white than blue, and others were more blue than white.

I personally find it hard to believe that this was merely a rice bowl. I find it too pretty.

I just feel that there is more than meets the eye.

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