Chinese Porcelain Collection
In the center of Jingdezhen there is the Zhushan - the Mountain of the Holy Pearl. It is the highest spot of the old Imperial Porcelain factory site. Today as in old times there is a pagoda on top of the Zhushan. Today the pagoda is rebuilt and used as a porcelain museum and a viewing point. From the second floor of the pagoda as you see it here, you have a full view of the former Imperial factory area facing west down a slowly descending slope.
The old factory area is today a barely visibly area encompassing a few city blocks, outlined by streets, marking the outskirts of the area.
It occupies a much larger area in our minds then on the earth, so to speak.
It is a utterly strange sensation to actually be overlooking the former Imperial porcelain factory, and realize what most probably are hidden in the ground under our feets.
The Imperial Porcelain factory
On the highest spot on the old Imperial Factory Area - the Zhu Shan - the "Pearl Mountain", today as before a pagoda is to be found. Photo: © Jan-Erik Nilsson, 1991
During 1991 and 1992 I had the privilege to visit the city of Jingdezhen and its surroundings as an interested student of Chinese porcelain functioning as expedition photographer in a small group of scholars and students of Oriental art, the most notably being Bo Gyllensvärd, former head and founder of The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm. All pictures illustrating this article is taken then.
Text and photos © Jan-Erik Nilsson, Göteborg 1991, 1992 and 2000.