The longstanding tradition of ceramic production in Asia is deeply rooted in the region’s abundant natural resources, including kaolin, water, and wood. The techniques of ceramic production and circulation—such as kiln construction, the grinding and fermenting of kaolin stones, the application of mineral glazes, and firing with timber, gas, or electricity, as well as the transportation of goods by land and sea—result from interactions between human and non-human agents. While scholars have conducted extensive research on Asian ceramics, particularly porcelain, from perspectives including archaeology, art history, material culture, and maritime history, there has been relatively little emphasis on the development of Asian ceramics through the lens of the environmental humanities.
This edited volume addresses this gap by examining the influence of environmental histories on the evolution of Asian ceramics.
Call for Book Chapters for Edited Volume
The volume investigates the ‘more-than-human’ dimensions within the context of Asian ceramics. Rather than focusing solely on the economic, cultural, or social histories of ceramics, this volume will take an ecocritical approach to issues at the heart of the creation and transformation of landscapes, the use of physical environments, the construction of spaces and places, and the histories of forestry, energy, mining, and waterways, among others. Additionally, we will delve into the roles of human-animal and human-plant relationships in the development of Asian ceramics. We will examine the dynamic interactions between humans and non-humans, the organic and inorganic, and tangible and intangible elements (living beings, objects, and artifacts) through sensory approaches, customs, rituals, decorations, and representations. The volume will contribute to an ongoing discourse about climate change and sustainability by analyzing topics such as natural disasters, pollution, waste, recycling, and reuse, particularly in the context of ceramic production, circulation, and consumption.
We invite contributors to submit chapters on, but not limited to, the following topics:
1. Ceramics and landscape (topography, mountains, soil, etc.)
2. The kaolin formula and the typology of colors
3. Ceramics and energy (fire, firing techniques, etc.)
4. Ceramics and the blue humanities (water, marine histories, etc.)
5. Ceramics, waste, and recycling
6. Ceramics, natural disasters, and pollution
7. Ceramics and animals, plants, and microworlds
8. Ceramics, customs, and rituals
9. Ceramics and sensory archaeology (smell, taste, sound, and touch)
10. Ceramics, cyborgs, and post-humanism