A Study of the Composition and Dissolution of Jianshui Purple Pottery in Yunnan, China

• Main Authors: Chang Liu, Heng Xie, Lei Nie, Hong Wang, Yuanyuan He
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Crystals
• Subjects: traditional potteries; firing process; chemical composition; trace element dissolution; production improvement
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/9/1034

Pottery is a gem in the history of human civilization and a crystallization of human wisdom. Yunnan Jianshui purple pottery is one of the four famous types of pottery in China, with a long history and superb craftsmanship. Used as tableware, research on the composition and element dissolution of pottery is extremely significant for production and health. This paper takes Jianshui purple pottery as its research object, samples its raw ores and finished products, and conducts X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry experiments, and dissolution tests. The chemical composition, microstructure, and trace element concentrations of pottery before and after firing were measured. Results show that the dissolution of purple pottery under various use scenarios is low and meets health requirements. Combined with the characteristics of purple pottery, the composition changes and the mechanism of change before and after firing are discussed, which can be used as the theoretical basis for improving pottery production in the future.