陶瓷詠嘆調

說起人類的發明，也許最早的就應該是制陶了。我這里說的是人類，不專指哪個民族或國家。

能永恒留下色彩的恐怕也只有陶上的彩和瓷上的釉，即便它成了殘器、碎片。

“這里蘊藏著幾千年前人類文明的訊息，想靠近他們嗎?遠古彩陶讓現代人捕捉到了一點可能。”(郭藝語)五千年的中華文明，正是由這些瓶瓶罐罐作為印記，碎瓷、陶片鑄就了漫漫人類文明長鏈的環環扣扣。

我曾在東南亞國家華裔家庭的居室里見到，他們用藤條圍編的青花盤懸掛在客廳的正墻。這是他們先祖從“唐山”帶來的信物，難道不能說這是維系祖國母親的臍帶嗎?

“CHINA(瓷)·中國”，用某種物件稱謂一個國家的世上不多見，也許只有對中國。

隨“絲綢之路”遠行異國的織物在時空折磨中已煙消云散，而陶瓷仍在里斯本桑托斯宮的天棚上；在歐洲某國整座門樓的鑲嵌中；CHINA將永遠在世界各國的博物館展框里熠熠生輝。

很難再讓人找到第二件類似陶瓷品質的東西，它能讓歷史真切地鑲嵌在碎片中、文化浸潤在釉彩里、精神附著在器皿中。古老與現代，傳統與時代，時空在它面前顯得那么無力……。

《陶色釉惑》以詠嘆調般地吟唱，向我們敘述了華夏祖先如何將釉彩接生到人間：漢子們外出狩獵找魚，婆姨們圍坐在火塘邊用炭灰、巖粉捏就的盆罐泥坯上描繪著自己的生活、理想和祈禱。就是這些彩陶刻錄了人類文明初始的胎動，凝聚人類的信仰與希冀，人類文化最重要的元素——文字，也由此起源。可以說，人類文明的演進因勞作而富裕，因瓷釉的祥和而美麗。

釉彩從哪里來?它不是天上的云彩，它就在我們的身邊。植物和礦物精靈的千變萬化組合，再加上一方水土，這就是變幻無窮的釉。

釉彩是一面歷史的鏡子。我們看到盛唐時，人們因富庶、自信、開朗生發出來的暢快淋漓的“唐三彩”，是何等放縱而洋溢著人性的斑斕色彩，這里是唐詩和三彩的歡樂唱和。溫文爾雅善書會畫的宋皇帝與之相配的當然是官窯、龍泉窯的“青瓷”和定窯的白瓷。如玉青瓷“嫩荷含露”、“千峰翠色”、“雨過天青”，這正是宋人尋求“五大名窯”釉色的自然意境。

釉彩是人文演進的印記。來自莽莽草原的元朝統治者崇尚青、白兩色，連器皿造型都帶有草原的氣息。而今價值連城的扁壺，原型就是騎士便于攜帶的皮囊，不過青、白兩色是否與藍天白云、大草原有關尚不得而知。明、清兩代之前期，國力強盛，外交頻繁、商貿通達，此時，瓷品造型、繪制精細規整，發色鮮亮，異邦瓷器的精品大都在此時流出，龍泉的“梅子青”到了法國居然變成了帶有愛情象征的“雪拉同”。

釉彩是一種民族情結。儒道思想占主導地位的漫漫中華史，人們找到了釋放情感的“玉”，從而由此發明了與玉有類似品質的釉瓷，“滋潤、鮮明、活潑三者為貴。”這是一種審美情趣，也是一種民族精神，華麗浪漫的“唐三彩”、綠如春水般的梅子青、似銀類雪的“天下第一白”、絢麗的“寶石紅”等等不一而足。喜慶吉祥的紅色在中華傳統文化中有著特殊地位，《雅》描述：“紅有百余種。”女童跳窯祭瓷，用鮮血換得的“祭紅釉”是那么的凄美而神圣。瓷器的型、色、音或許就是華夏民族的人文精神。

令人迷幻的釉彩，使人神魂顛倒的瓷，這是永恒美的經典。瓷與禮、瓷與祭、瓷與酒、瓷與茶、瓷與生、瓷與死、瓷與人類息息相關。能體會到嗎?!那些瓷片應該有體溫……

窯工粗礪的手和著釉彩，這無伴奏的和聲飄浮在時空。我看見一個出生于陶藝世家的小女孩赤著腳，不是在海邊而是在古窯址，在河床邊虔誠地撿拾起一片陶或一片瓷，而后對著陽光瞇縫著眼睛仿佛想看透什么，然后為我們寫下了《陶色釉惑》。

(本文系作者為郭藝所著的《陶色釉惑》一書撰寫的序言，本刊發表時略有改動。作者為著名畫家，浙江畫院院長)

Ode to Pottery and Porcelain

By Zhang Huasheng

Editor’s Note: this is an abbreviated version of a foreword to Charms of Ceramic Glaze， a book by Guo Yi. Zhang Huasheng is a celebrated painter and director of Zhejiang Arts Academy.

The earliest human invention is probably pottery. The only color that lasts is probably pottery tints and porcelain glaze， even if the very ancient pottery and porcelain utensils made by our earliest ancestors have long since been broken to shards.

Ancient painted pottery enables the modern people to get a glimpse of the dawning civilizations. The 5，000-year-old Chinese culture is marked by pottery utensils. I once visited households of Chinese descendants in Southeast Asian countries. They had blue-white porcelain encircled with rattans hung on the main wall of their sitting rooms. Their ancestors brought these porcelains from China as identity keepsakes.

Charms of Ceramic Glaze paints such a story about Chinese ancestors: men hunted in the wilderness while women worked at home. One of the house chores they did was to make pottery and painted their life， hope and prayer on these earthen pieces. Written language originated from this practice.

One can hardly find another variety that comes close to pottery in historical significance. It captures history in its shards， embodies culture in paints and glazes， and signifies human spirit in utensils.

Ceramic glaze mirrors history.

In the golden days of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)， its famed trio-color glazed pottery signified the central empire’s affluence， confidence， and optimistic outlook.

Several emperors in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) were outstanding artists and calligraphers. Government-operated kilns and other prominent kilns made celadon and white porcelains， which captured the spirit of aligning one’s mind to nature.

The Yuan-dynasty (1271-1368) rulers preferred blue and white for their porcelains. Even shapes of the porcelains in the period suggested their roots in the northern prairies.

China in the earlier periods of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties was powerful and affluent. Delicate porcelains in refined colors and shapes were exported to foreign countries.

Glazes reflect the dominant position of Confucianism in the Chinese society. Jade is one of the most ideal pieces with which people expressed themselves. And porcelain was made to resemble jade. Porcelain embodies the national aesthetics and spirit. In Chinese tradition， red is an auspicious and happy color. There are hundreds of reds used to express different themes in the life of Chinese.

Ceramic glaze represents an eternity in classic beauty. Porcelain relates to rites， memorial ceremonies， wine， tea， life， and death.

Charms of Ceramic Glaze gives me such a picture: A little girl from a family of pottery makers picks up porcelain or pottery shards at an ancient kiln site. She is barefooted. She examines the pieces piously with her eyes narrowed against the bright sunshine. She writes down what she sees in these pieces with ancient glazes.

(Translated by David)