Lu Wen

Hunan Normal University

Abstract：

This paper provides an anthropological analysis of Changshayao craft traditions through the sweeping institutional shifts of the 20th century. It argues that the evolution of ceramic craft within the Changshayao system—exemplified by the Tongguan production site—is inextricably linked to fundamental changes in its production spaces and technological processes. Spatially, production has transitioned from a decentralized landscape of community-operated dragon kilns to the centralized, state-managed factory system of the collective era, and subsequently fragmented into a diverse ecosystem of private companies, family workshops, and individual studios in the post-reform period. This spatial evolution corresponds directly to a technological one, where purely manual, embodied skills in clay extraction, forming, decorating, and firing have been systematically augmented and, in many cases, replaced by mechanized processes. Despite these radical changes, the core traditions of Changshayao ceramic craft have not been severed but have instead adapted. This study reveals that craft skill is not an isolated technique but is embedded within a specific socio-material context of production spaces, tools, and cultural lineage, ensuring its intergenerational transmission. The case of Tongguan, as a core production center of Changshayao, thus offers critical insights into the resilience and adaptation of traditional craft heritage within the broader currents of modernization.

Key Words：

Changshayao; Ceramic Industry; Craft Inheritance; Social Change