David Stannard on Bai tunze....

[Hank Murrow]

David Stannard was queried by Steve Harrison (down under) concerning David's visit to the bai tunze mine at Jingdezhen in '82. This is his response to Steve...... It should be noted that the bai tunze of Song times in resembles the current material only in its elemental components. The original bai tunze was weathered and plastic and formed almost the entire body, while the current material is unweathered, not plastic, and represents only around 30% of the current body there.

Cheers, Hank

Steve,

I did, finally got a note & CD to Suzie McMeekin last week--  & v. nice reply today..

I *do* intend to respond to your query re 'bai tunze' shortly-- I've just got back in touch with my friend Zhang Fukang(China's primo historical-glaze researcher & '82 Intnl Conf organizer) who'd arranged for me to talk to a geologist from Jingdezhen Ceram. Inst during our visit there in '82.

He can give us the current contact person in Jing de zhen for you to consult, I think, about where-abouts & operating condition of the mine site I visited. Zhang Fukang(lives in Shanghai) is in poor health, but I'll e-mail him soon for contact info.

When I was there in '82 the mine entrance was right near a small creek, and I could imagine that the surface-exposed aplite dyke(20%+ sericite) may have weathered to an iron-free, plastic clay which potters found useful back in Tang times(??). In past millennia the dyke has been followed underground (at a steep angle & ~80m wide), now is 7km+ long. I have the analysis they gave me somewhere buried in my basement papers & may find it. It was primarily qtz & some k-spar, with <20% sericite & <1% siderite, as I recall. It wouldn't surprise me if there were, also, other sites.

They were airfloating & bagging it @400 mesh. I grabbed a sample chunk of the aplite off their rock-pile at the processong yard. The dyke had been followed under the Ridge, and in the next valley near where it might reappear was an area they were now gathering kaolin to add to the body. I'll let you know what I hear from Zhang fukang. Personally, I imagine that the site may be more of historical than practical significance.

I notice that our NCECA crowd seem now to have extensive contact with the Jing de zhen Institute, promoting Art, Travel, Workshops, Exchange, etc. (My impression is that this relationship is more a promotion of Art & Status than focus on Process). Hank would be better informed about how to pursure inquiry along those lines than I.

David...................

On Feb 6, 2008, at 2:42 AM, steve harrison wrote:

Hi David,

I hope that this email finds you well, and that your efforts to contact Suzie McMeekin went OK.

I have a favor to ask of you.

I read somewhere that you had been to china in the 80's sometime and visited the  bai tunze (Pei tun se) quarry somewhere near Jingdezhen.

I am hoping to find that quarry and collect some samples for comparison to my own porcelain stone.

I would be very appreciative if you might forward to me any information that you might have regarding the site of the sericite dyke, particularly directions on how to find it.

Best wishes

Steve Harrison

[hambone]

Hank: NCECA's interest is via Bob Anderson at Morgantown and Joe
Zeller. The recent course offering thru NCECA was piloted by WVU. I've
talked to Bob and Joe and I don't have an inkling that the geological
and archeological, art historical aspects of old Chinese pots are a
big deal to them. Not really sure why not, tho.
H A M B O N E

[Hank Murrow]

On Jul 1, 2008, at 4:11 PM, hambone wrote:

> Hank:

> NCECA's interest is via Bob Anderson at Morgantown and Joe
> Zeller. The recent course offering thru NCECA was piloted by WVU. I've
> talked to Bob and Joe and I don't have an inkling that the geological
> and archeological, art historical aspects of old Chinese pots are a
> big deal to them. Not really sure why not, tho.

Well, the kiss of death at NCECA is to mention constituents of clays
or kilns of any sort. Most interaction there involves getting
promoted and being seen as promotable in my experience (going back to
1970). NCECA is largely a meeting of academicians, after all.

The Clayart Room is probably the best locale to pursue such questions
of process and material...... and of course, our delightful Clayart
Forum right here on our laptops.

Cheers, Hank