Recently, the eggshell black pottery stem cup was chosen as the physical prototype for Shandong cultural relic identification, from a selection process involving over five million candidate cultural relics. What makes a black pottery cup, dating back 4,000 years, truly exceptional? Where does its enchantment lie? How does the legacy of black pottery enrich our lives today?

Unearthed in 1973 during the archaeological excavation of the Donghaiyu site in Rizhao of Shandong, this eggshell black pottery stem cup belongs to the early phase of the Longshan culture, dating back 4,400 to 4,200 years. This eggshell black pottery stem cup made from clay on the bed of the Yellow River, is a prehistoric vessel with a less than 1 millimeter thin shell, and the thinnest part of the cup rim is only 0.2 millimeters. Craftsmen at that time intricately carved rows of delicate, striplike perforations on the thin, eggshelllike walls of the vessel.

Hu Xinmiao,Arts and Crafts Master of Shandong
We have summarized it with four distinctive features, quite catchy, as black as lacquer, as bright as a mirror, as thin as an eggshell, and as hard as porcelain. These four characteristics encapsulate a perfect portrayal of eggshell black pottery.

Alvin
In the process of making black pottery, trimming the clay is a crucial step. Achieving the thinness resembling an eggshell is determined by this step.

According to Hu, in this step, craftsmen utilize an ancient tool called the "pottery wheel" to achieve a smooth and delicate surface. Apart from this tool, no additional implements are used in the crafting of black pottery.

Liang Lixia, Nationallevel Intangible Cultural Heritage inheritor of "Dezhou Black Pottery Firing Technique”
Recorded in the Encyclopedia Britannica, 4,500 years ago, the most exquisite craftsmanship belonged to China's black pottery, particularly the eggshell pottery. This implies that black pottery art stands as the sole artifact that emerged independently in prehistoric civilizations.

While eggshell black pottery represents the pinnacle of potterymaking techniques, challenges in both preserving tradition and fostering innovation have hindered its modern development.

Hu Xinmiao,Arts and Crafts Master of Shandong
During the Longshan culture period, literally all household items were black pottery. This included storage vessels, cooking utensils, and ceremonial tools. When it comes to innovation with black pottery today, people tend to adapt it for modern tableware and cookware. However, due to its inherent material characteristics, it may not be wellsuited for creating functional items of this nature.

During the process of the inheritance and innovation of black pottery, craftsmen in Shandong exploited some other characteristics of black pottery and developed many modern black pottery products that are suitable for contemporary aesthetic preferences. Examples include household lighting fixtures, scented candles, and so on.

Liang Lixia, Nationallevel Intangible Cultural Heritage inheritor of "Dezhou Black Pottery Firing Technique”
Initially, we directly painted on the black pottery, but found the result unsatisfactory. Therefore, we polished the surface, sprayed it with natural sand powder, and polished it repeatedly. After repeated efforts, we achieved a matte texture on the surface. When held in the hand, it feels particularly warm and inviting. Then we handpaint the surface to enhance the overall aesthetic effect.

The value of black pottery is determined by the manual craftsmanship involved in its production. A set of scented candle products is priced at 300500 RMB. During last year's Double Eleven shopping festival, over 2000 sets of black pottery products made by Liang and her team were sold, making her confident of the promising future of black pottery.

Liang Lixia, Nationallevel Intangible Cultural Heritage inheritor of "Dezhou Black Pottery Firing Technique”
The black pottery carries a high cultural significance and a sense of taste. The Chinese nation has created the pinnacle of artistic representation using the simplest materials.