Twisted Placenta Ceramics was developed during the Tang Dynasty and lasted through the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The Tang era is considered the “Golden Age”, of Chinese Art. In ceramics technical and aesthetic developments and technical improvements included perfecting porcelain clays, improving celadons and other glazes. Song, Yuan continued to refine their ceramic shapes, surface decoration, and glaze. With the importance of the advancement of porcelain, and the other ceramic achievements in China perhaps it is not a surprise that layered colored clay appears to be a side note if mentioned at all.

With the importance of celadons and white porcelains in trade, fewer Twisted Placenta pieces were created. This technique takes much longer for each pot, and the percentage of pots broken is high. According to the Shenjang Culture webpage, the yield of Twisted Placenta is low because of its breakage, while the demand for fine ceramics increased. The growing economic prosperity created demand for reliable fine ceramics production this caused the technique to wane and was gradually lost. Abandonment of the creation of Twisted Placenta was an economic decision.

I used high fire clays and a non-lead transparent for the glaze which I make. I added a little red iron oxide to get a light brown, and copper oxide to get green but no substitute is a truly good duplicate of the amber color created by lead.

From my current understanding, the ancient “Twisted Placenta” ceramics have set designs, which I have tried to replicate with varying degrees of success. Master Chai uses the term “Chrysanthemum”, for one style. I used “U Shape”, “Woven”, and “Pinwheel” because they are descriptive. I am still not certain how the Chrysanthemum style is put together.

Modern Master, Chai Zhanzhu, who, when looking through shards from the Dangyangyu kilns in the late 20^th Century, became interested and taught himself the techniques of Twisted Placenta Ceramics after an apprenticeship in ceramics at Jingdezhen Porcelain Center. I taught myself what little I know and identified with Master Chai’s trials and challenges. Master Chai says that 90% of his work is destroyed during the process or must be destroyed after firing because of flaws. I have had similar disappointments. Master Chai is still working in Dangyang and my dream is to someday meet him in person.