Frontiers in Business, Economics and Management ISSN: 2766-824X | Vol. 11, No. 3, 2023 202 Research on the Regional Artistic Characteristics of Jieshou Colored Pottery and the Path of Creative Industry Yunfei Zhu1, * 1 Anhui University of Finance and Economics, College of Arts, Bengbu, Anhui, 233030, China * Corresponding author: Yunfei Zhu (Email: 1309913171@qq.com) Abstract: Jieshou colored pottery, as one of the precious heritages of traditional Chinese ceramic craft, has profound regional artistic characteristics. With the change of market economy, the market development of Jieshou colored pottery is slow, the audience is narrow, and it is urgent to seek new innovative development of industrial path. The purpose of this paper is to start from the historical history and artistic characteristics of Jieshou colored pottery, in-depth discussion and analysis of regional characteristics combined with contemporary creative industries, which helps to better understand the artistic characteristics of Jieshou colored pottery, and at the same time provides new ideas for its sustainable development in the field of contemporary cultural industries. Keywords: Jieshou colored pottery, Regional culture, Innovation and development, Protection and inheritance. 1. Overview of Jieshou Colored Pottery Jieshou colored pottery, as an important cultural and material heritage of northern Anhui, has a long history. Its firing techniques were included in the first list of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The origin of this colored pottery can be traced back to the Sui Dynasty, reached its peak in the Southern Song Dynasty, and was even more popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and was regarded as one of the four major colored potteries in modern China. Influenced by the simple and unique folk culture of the northwest Anhui region, Jieshou colored pottery has evolved over a long period of time, displaying unique artistic characteristics of roughness, heaviness, vividness and simplicity. The modeling and artistic characteristics of this ceramic craft are closely related to thousands of years of regional cultural deposits. This paper will discuss the regional characteristics of Jieshou colored pottery, aiming to promote the better inheritance and development of this folk craft. 2. Jieshou Colored Pottery Historical Evolution and Regional Characteristics 2.1. History "Jieshou colored pottery has been called by scholars as "one of the four major modern colored pottery in China", its production process and artistic characteristics not only contains a rich historical and cultural traditions and unique local characteristics for the art, ceramics, cultural relics and other related fields of experts and scholars concerned[1]. Its history can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907). According to the findings of archaeologists, the Jieshou area once had a rich tradition of pottery making, especially during the Tang Dynasty, when the ceramic craftsmanship in Jieshou gradually flourished. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, ceramic craftsmen in the Jieshou area began to study and improve kiln technology, and this technological improvement laid the foundation for the development of colored pottery in Jieshou. They mastered the technique of firing at higher temperatures, making the ceramics stronger and more beautiful. Over time, Jieshou colored pottery reached its peak in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Jieshou's ceramics production techniques reached their peak during these two periods and were considered treasures of the time. The colored pottery works include various kinds of porcelain, ceramic pots, vases, bowls and plates, etc., and are famous for their exquisite craftsmanship and rich colors. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644- 1912), Jieshou colored pottery continued to maintain its production level. Ceramics of this period were diversified, ranging from everyday household items to objects for religious ceremonies and celebrations. The colored pottery gradually became a means of cultural and commercial exchange, and was exported to all parts of the world. In modern times, Jieshou pottery has experienced some ups and downs, but still maintains its traditional production techniques, and since the 20th century, the government and cultural preservation organizations have begun to pay attention to the preservation and inheritance of Jieshou pottery to ensure that this precious ceramic craft will not be lost. Nowadays, Jieshou colored pottery still attracts collectors and art lovers at home and abroad with its unique style and craftsmanship. 2.2. Geographical characteristics Geographical characteristics are the cornerstone of the formation and development of Jieshou colored pottery. Jieshou City is located in the north of China's Anhui Province, located in the Huai River Basin, the location is superior, with rich natural resources and high-quality clay resources, Jieshou colored pottery using clay is taken from the local "yellow glue mud", evolved from the Tang Sancai from the formation of the date of its unique style of simple and mellow known for[2]. This provides a solid foundation for the production of ceramics. This provides a solid foundation for the production of ceramics. 203 Hegel put forward in the book "Aesthetics": "The generation, development, evolution and demise of any form of art, a work of art, a class of artistic techniques are all dependently attributable to the time, nation, region and environment in which they are located."[3] The uniqueness of Jieshou colored pottery is influenced by its geographical location, geological features, climatic conditions, cultural heritage, living habits and rural culture. Located in the northern part of China's Anhui Province, Jieshou is situated in the Huaihe River Basin and is in a favorable location, possessing a number of rivers that converge, providing abundant raw materials for ceramics, such as loess and yellow gum clay, which provide a solid foundation for ceramics production. This special geological condition gives the yellow gum clay its soft and malleable qualities, allowing the potter the flexibility to make all kinds of pottery. The four distinct seasons help control the firing process and ensure the quality of the pottery. The regional cultural heritage is deeply integrated into the ceramic production techniques and aesthetic style, and the local cultural elements are incorporated into the decorative patterns and vessel designs to build a unique local culture. For example, the local natural environment is beautiful and rich in vegetation, which often becomes a source of inspiration for the creation of ceramic works. These natural elements are incorporated into the patterns and decorations of ceramics, making Jieshou colored pottery more vibrant and regional characteristics. In addition, Jieshou City is a typical rural area in China, where rural and folk culture are deeply rooted. Potters are usually rural residents, and their ceramic production skills integrate farming culture, farmers' wisdom of life and rural aesthetics, creating pottery works rich in local flavor. To sum up, the characteristics of the regional environment of Jieshou colored pottery are intertwined in many aspects, which together constitute the unique flavor of this ceramic craft, making it a precious treasure of Chinese ceramic craft.. 3. Humanistic and Artistic Characteristics of Jieshou Colored Pottery 3.1. Human characteristics The Fuyang region and the northern Anhui region, where Jieshou is located, are rich in Central Plains culture, and "the artistic achievements of Jieshou colored pottery are the result of the comprehensive influence of the regional culture of the Central Plains."[4] Secondly, Jieshou colored pottery is deeply influenced by ancient Chinese culture, including spiritual traditions such as Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, and these influences are often reflected in its unique patterns, decorations and symbolism. In addition, local culture, religious beliefs, and folk traditions are also deeply integrated into the artistic expression of Jieshou colored pottery. This ceramic craft uses special glazes and firing techniques, which have been passed down from generation to generation and are valuable traditions of the local ceramic artisans. Jieshou colored pottery simple and natural, rough and bold ware of the object modeling and soft and elegant, festive and warm glaze colors are shown Jieshou local people naive and honest character and outstanding artistic aesthetic interest, showing the people of Jieshou love of nature, the pursuit of harmony in the state of mind.[5] In short, Jieshou colored pottery is not only a treasure of Chinese ceramic art, but also a full embodiment of regional characteristics and cultural heritage, is a precious legacy of ancient Chinese culture and the natural environment, and continues to be noticed and inherited by local and global ceramic art lovers. 3.2. Artistic features 3.2.1. Artifact modeling characteristics Jieshou colored pottery was inspired by Chinese bronze and porcelain art in its modeling. Its modeling is characterized by ancient simplicity and heaviness, and is unified by the formal laws of symmetry, balance, harmony, proportion and echo, i.e., the use of S-lines.[6] This artistic tradition has given pottery a unique cultural connotation and historical depth. The design of pottery not only has practicality, but also incorporates traditional aesthetic concepts, reflecting the flavor of Chinese culture. In addition, pottery plays an important role in the daily life of the local people due to the influence of regional culture, such as holding food, storing water and serving wine, which has influenced the design of vessel types. Jieshou colored pottery uses the yellow clay from the banks of the local Shaying River as the raw material for the clay, which is soft and highly malleable, enabling the potter to easily shape a variety of complex shapes. This characteristic of the clay provides artists with a wide range of creative space and helps to realize a rich variety of shapes. There are three main features of the "Jieshou colored pottery" artifacts: Diverse vessel development: The history of the development of Jieshou colored pottery is rich and colorful, starting from the earliest bowls and pots, and gradually evolving into a variety of shapes such as bottles and pots. Carved color pottery vases and four series of pots represent different historical periods and uses, showing the diversity and evolution of Jieshou color pottery. Round shape dominance: Round vessels dominate in Jieshou colored pottery. The advantages of this type of vessel are its large capacity, practicality, and stable firing process, which makes it suitable for mass production. The shape of round vessels also conforms to the symbolism of traditional Chinese culture regarding reunion and harmony, and thus has maintained its importance. Smooth Curves and Harmonious Shapes: More emphasis is placed on the smoothness of the lines, and curved designs are mainly used to give the objects a harmonious and graceful appearance in shape. These curves are usually intertwined and interlocking, increasing the visual appeal while conveying emotions of softness and comfort. 3.2.2. Artifact Color Characteristics As a precious heritage of Chinese ceramic art, the color characteristics of Jieshou colored pottery show a unique charm on many levels, combining rich cultural, historical and life elements. The three-color picking technique is an important part of the color characteristics of Jieshou colored pottery. This technique uses bright colors on the surface of the glaze, and then carves, embellishes and picks through them, forming a sharp color contrast and sense of hierarchy. The use of three- color picking makes the decoration of Jieshou pottery more delicate and vivid. The viewer can clearly see every detail in the pattern, which enhances the artistry and ornamental qualities of the work. With this technique, the decorations of Jieshou pottery are often three-dimensional, with distinct layers of colors, making people feel as if the works are beating 204 and vividly telling a story. The luster of the glaze is also one of the highlights of the color characteristics of Jieshou colored pottery. The glaze of ceramic works usually shows a bright luster, which not only adds texture to the work, but also makes the patterns more vivid. The viewer can see the light reflecting off the glaze, which imparts a vivid sense of movement to the work. This luster allows Jieshou colored pottery to display different aesthetics in different light, thus attracting the eye and making it difficult to ignore its uniqueness. Another important color feature is the use of contrasting tones. In Jieshou colored pottery, contrasting tones are often used to increase the visual appeal of the piece. Bright colors are often contrasted with darker backgrounds to make the motifs stand out more. This contrast not only increases the expressiveness of the work, but also makes the motifs easier to notice by the observer. This visual contrast not only enhances the beauty of the work, but also strengthens the emotional interaction between the viewer and the work. The color characteristics of Jieshou colored pottery were deeply influenced by folk culture. Auspicious patterns often use red and golden colors to increase the symbolism of auspiciousness and happiness. This reflects the belief in good luck in the local culture, making Jieshou colored pottery works not only decorative, but also carrying cultural and historical connotations. This cultural connotation is conveyed through color, making the Jieshou colored pottery richer and more profound. Generally speaking, "Jieshou colored pottery" is characterized by three-color picking technique, glaze luster and contrasting tones, presenting a picture scroll full of life and artistic charm for the viewers. It is not only an outstanding representative of Chinese ceramic art, but also a precious heritage of cultural inheritance and artistic creation. 3.2.3. Characteristics of Artifact Patterns Jieshou City's favorable geographical location, rich natural resources, plants and animals often become the source of inspiration for the creation of ceramic works. These elements not only enrich the diversity of ceramic works, but also give them unique cultural value and artistic expression. Jieshou colored pottery is famous for its various and exquisite decorative elements. Techniques such as carving, picking and painting are often used to decorate objects, giving them unique artistic value. These decorative elements often feature flora and fauna motifs such as fish, flowers and birds, signifying good luck, happiness and prosperity. In addition, the decorative techniques of Jieshou colored pottery are colorful and cover a multitude of different techniques. One such technique is underglaze painting, which allows the artist to paint intricate designs on the surface of the pottery, which are preserved during the underglaze firing process. In addition, incised line techniques are often used to create elaborate textures and lines, and sometimes appliqués, pasted wire, and other decorative methods are used. Each of these techniques requires a high level of craftsmanship, which ceramic artisans were able to master and utilize through years of practice and experience. Despite the emphasis on decoration and aesthetics, the vessel types of Jieshou colored pottery still focus on meeting the practical needs of daily life. Bowls, pots, bottles, altars and other vessel types are well-designed and convenient to use, reflecting the basic functions of pottery, which are indispensable and practical items in people's lives. The decorative patterns of Jieshou colored pottery are mainly plant motifs. Plants are often regarded as symbols of good luck and life in traditional Chinese culture, so various plant motifs are widely used in Jieshou pottery. Among them, the peony motif is one of the most widely used main motifs. The peony is known as the "king of flowers", representing wealth and prosperity. The fennel petal pattern, on the other hand, is loved for its elegance and simplicity. It is created according to the shape of the fennel petal, showing the beauty of geometric patterns. Peach motifs and double peach motifs signify good luck and longevity, and often appear in Jieshou colored pottery, especially in modern works. Lotus patterns are also commonly found on the mouth, neck and base of vessels, as the lotus flower represents harmony, happiness and good fortune in Chinese culture. The use of these botanical motifs makes Jieshou colored pottery works full of vitality and cultural connotations. The auxiliary motifs of Jieshou colored pottery are dominated by the curly grass pattern. The scrolling pattern is usually composed of plant vines, which surrounds the object in an "S" shape, complementing the main pattern. This pattern adds layers and richness to the work, allowing the viewer to appreciate the details of each piece in greater depth. Cursive motifs are also often used to decorate the necks and bottoms of objects, providing balance and decoration. In addition, animal motifs also played an important role in the decoration of Jieshou colored pottery. These animal motifs are often in figurative form, including fish, cows, horses, chickens, etc. Fish is synonymous with "Yu" in Chinese culture. In Chinese culture, fish is synonymous with "yu", which means "yearly surplus", and local people are especially fond of jars and pots with fish motifs, not only because they symbolize a yearly surplus of fish, but also because the motifs are so vividly depicted.[7] Fish motifs were therefore widely used, and often combined with algae and lotus patterns to create a vivid water world. Cows and horses were important tools of cultivation and transportation in the northern region, and their images were simple and exaggerated, rich in local flavor. Chicken is a common poultry, full of fun, often used as the subject of colored pottery decoration. The figure patterns in Jieshou colored pottery also occupy a place. These figure patterns include drama story scene figures and auspicious figures. Drama story scene character patterns are usually based on the scenes and characters dressed up in the drama stage, incorporating other arts and crafts modeling elements to create colorful drama stories, with a strong theatrical nature. Auspicious character patterns, on the other hand, are often expressed in the style of paper- cutting and woodblock prints, full of festive and peaceful atmosphere. The decorative patterns of Jieshou colored pottery are rich and varied in features, including various elements such as plants, scrolls, animals and figures, conveying the symbols of auspiciousness, happiness and good life. These decorative patterns not only enrich the artistic expression of the works, but also reflect the profound connotation of local culture and folklore, making Jieshou colored pottery a treasure of Chinese ceramic art. 4. Inheritance and Development of Jieshou Colored Pottery 4.1. Inheritance and Innovation Path Innovation of traditional colored pottery craft. The history of Jieshou colored pottery is full of continuous absorption and fusion of traditional crafts, from the three-color pottery of the 205 Tang Dynasty to the engraved pottery of the Song Dynasty, to the integration of paper-cutting and appliqué and woodblock print elements from the Yuan Dynasty onwards, as well as the expansion of operatic characters and scenes during the Late Qing Dynasty, the process of fusion and innovation in this diversified traditional art has resulted in today's unique artistic charm. The traditional-to-traditional approach breathes new life. Absorption of diverse cultures. The area in which Jieshou colored pottery is located is deeply influenced by the culture of the Central Plains, which provides it with a rich cultural heritage. Therefore, it can draw on the diverse local traditional art forms and folk customs, such as the art of New Year's paintings, paper-cutting, stone carving, blue-printed cloth, willow weaving, clay sculpture, printmaking, etc., as well as a variety of folk temple fairs and opera traditions, and integrate these elements into its own creations so as to create new works. Combined with modern design means. Although the traditional style of Jieshou colored pottery is classic, it needs to be consistent with contemporary society and fashion trends. By breaking away from traditional impressions, retaining core elements and injecting creative impetus, Jieshou colored pottery has been able to reinvent itself with more forms of expression and greater market appeal. This includes updating decorative patterns, experimenting with new vessel shapes and sizes, and exploring new materials, while giving the works more cultural significance and contemporary connotations. 4.2. Industrial development path Policy formulation and promotion are the primary considerations. The government needs to take the lead in formulating guiding and incentivizing policies, including attracting intellectual elites, investment promotion, land planning, financial support, tax policies, etc., in order to establish a service operation mechanism for the Jieshou colored ceramic culture and creative industry. This mechanism should cover the cultivation or introduction of ceramic culture leading enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprise incubation, the expansion of investment and financing channels, major ceramic culture research and development, modern ceramic technology innovation, the introduction and utilization of talent, ceramic culture product marketing, ceramic industry associations active involvement and the protection of intellectual property rights. This comprehensive service mechanism will help establish a public service platform for Jieshou colored pottery culture and creative industry. Cross-border integration is also an important path to promote the industrialization of Jieshou pottery. Based on the folk culture and ecological environment of Jieshou painted pottery image resources, through the mode of cultural exposition, cultural and creative products, cultural and creative industrial parks and other modes, we can excavate the cultural market value of artistic quality in the productive protection, promote the reconstruction of the cultural ecology of handicrafts of Jieshou's painted pottery image market potential, and enhance the aesthetic discourse system of the production carriers of folk art.[8] Jieshou is located in the agricultural town of northern Anhui, so the cross-border integration with agricultural resources will inject new vitality into the colored pottery industry. This includes utilizing the advantages of local agricultural resources to cultivate characteristic pottery agricultural culture, such as leisure agriculture, creative agriculture, ecological agriculture, etc., in order to create pottery agricultural culture boutiques. In addition, cross-border integration with tourism is also necessary. By introducing colored pottery culture, crafts and creative elements into existing scenic spots in Jieshou, new colored pottery culture tourism products can be developed to attract more tourists, thus forming a colored pottery culture tourism brand. In order to stand out in the fierce market competition, Jieshou pottery should implement a fine classification of design and development, market development and sales strategy. This includes categorizing products into international high-quality goods, master collections, classic artworks, fashionable masterpieces, cultural artworks, popular jewelry and general supplies. Each category of products should be finely designed and marketed to meet the needs of different consumer groups. This requires the establishment of an industrial chain and service chain that includes retail and wholesale, art display, warehousing and logistics. The clustering and intensive development of the industry will give impetus to the Jieshou colored pottery industry. This includes gathering cultural resources, excavating and integrating ceramic history, traditional crafts, graphic culture, ancient kiln architecture, human resources, etc., in order to form emerging cultural resources with original local characteristics. At the same time, the need for scientific planning of industrial parks, strengthen the carrying capacity of the park, and fully promote the development of industrial parks agglomeration, in order to create industrial agglomerations or industrial clusters, to achieve the sustainable development of Jieshou pottery culture industry. 5. Conclusion Throughout the historical development of Jieshou colored pottery, its craftsmanship has maintained a high level of development. Influenced by the culture of the Huaihe River basin, its regional artistic characteristics are remarkable, which is precisely the key factor for the achievement of Jieshou colored pottery. With the development of market economy, many regional traditional handicrafts are gradually buried. The development of Jieshou colored pottery is also the same, in its innovation and development of the road missing is not the classic tradition, but the change of thinking, creative outbreak and accurate marketing means. Of course, in recent years, the protection of traditional handicrafts has been a boom, and the inheritance of Jieshou colored pottery's skills and industrial development have also attracted great attention from governmental organizations at all levels. We believe that under the joint efforts of all sectors of society, Jieshou colored pottery will be able to walk out of a well-trodden path of its own! Acknowledgment This study was supported by the 2022 Anhui University of Finance and Economics Graduate Student Research Innovation Fund Project: "Research on the Artistic Characteristics and Creative Industry Path of Jieshou Colored Pottery in the Perspective of Regional Culture" (ACYC2022259). 206 References [1] Ye Jingjing, On the Inheritance and Development of Jieshou Colored Pottery. Anhui University of Engineering, 2011. [2] Tian Zibing, History of Chinese Arts and Crafts. Oriental Publishing Center, p. 9, 2003. [3] Hegel, Aesthetics. Zhu Guangqian, Translation. Beijing: Commercial Press, p. 346, 1979. [4] Gao Feng, Jieshou colored pottery art and its protection in cultural and ecological context, pp. 50-53, 2010. [5] Gao Feng, The original culture of Jieshou colored pottery. Literature and Art Research, pp. 153-154, 2009. 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