Koji pottery is a type of folk art commonly seen on traditional architecture, combining modeling, firing and painting, that originally developed in China’s Fujian province. Popular themes include auspicious wishes, legends and fables, folk tales and stories from history. The pottery is often used on temples or as decorative elements on traditional residences.
Koji pottery is quite unique: stylistically, and in terms of glaze colors, it is worlds apart from the Song dynasty ru, ge, jun and ding pottery, the underglaze blue porcelains of the Yuan and Ming periods, or the yangcai polychromes of the Qing. The polychromatic koji pottery derives from the tri-chromatic sancai pottery of the Tang, and became popular in the lingnan region of south China during the Tang, through the Song and beyond. After that, during the Ming and Qing periods, it was influenced by the overglaze colors of Jingdezhen and the enamel colors introduced from the West. It was brought over to central and southern Taiwan by immigrants from liangnan, and from this point on evolved into the polychrome koji pottery we see today.
Some people say that the vibrant colors of koji pottery are too gaudy, and lack a refined aesthetic, but I personally disagree. Yes, some rather unsightly examples do exist, but there are others that are completely different. Whether it be the modeling, the beauty of the glaze color, the intriguing lines in the cracks on the glaze surface, or the decorative techniques used, to many people’s eyes koji pottery should be considered more an art form than a type of folk craft.
Photo: Paul Cooper, Taipei Times
照片：台北時報記者古德謙攝
The work in the photo was made by Yingge koji potter Wu Liang-pin.
(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
交阯陶原是中國福建省發展出來的一種民間工藝，融合了塑型、燒陶、繪畫於一體，常見於傳統建築。主題常為吉祥福慶、神話傳說、民間傳奇或者歷史故事，常用於裝飾寺廟或傳統民宅。
交阯陶在釉色上、風格上都獨具一格，與宋朝的汝、哥、鈞、定窯、元、明時期的青花瓷器、清朝的洋彩瓷器等陶瓷截然不同。交趾陶這種多彩陶藝源自於唐三彩，自唐、宋起在中國嶺南地區流行，並於明、清時期受到景德鎮釉上彩以及西洋傳入的琺瑯彩所影響。 其後交趾陶被嶺南移民傳入台灣中南部，從此演變成今天所見的多彩交趾陶。
有人說交阯陶奪目的釉色太俗艷，缺乏優雅的美感，但筆者覺得其實不然。雖然的確存在著相當刺目的交阯陶，可是也有完全相反的例子，其中無論是造型、釉色之美、釉面開片紋理之意趣或裝飾技法，交阯陶在許多人的心目中與其說是民間匠技不如說足以視為一種藝術。
照片中的作品為鶯歌交阯陶陶藝家吳良斌製作的。
（台北時報記者古德謙整理）
Every few years, the World Baseball Classic (WBC) offers sports fans a real World Series. At its finest, as in the shocking upset on Tuesday last week of the US team by Italy, the games generate the kind of electricity fans feel at the FIFA World Cup. That’s exactly how Major League Baseball (MLB), which owns the WBC, wants it. The tournament, first played in 2006, was designed to boost the league’s profile beyond North America and help it become a global game. In most respects, it’s done better than expected. Yet as the WBC grows, the structure, timing and staging of
Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？ 1. 她德語說得和她老師一樣流利。 ˇ Her German is as fluent as her teacher’s. ˇ She speaks German as fluently as her teacher (does). χ Her German is as fluent as her teacher. 註︰這裏所比的是「她的德語」和「她老師的德語」，而不是把她的德語和她的老師這個人相比，所以必須說 her teacher’s，即 her teacher’s German。或把「她說德語」和「她老師說德語」比較。 2. 一般認為北部人生活步調和南部人不同。 ˇ The people of the North are generally described as different from those of the South in terms of pace of life. χ The people of the North are generally described as different from the South in terms of pace of life. 註︰所不同者是北部人和南部人，而不是北部人和南部地區的比較，所以應加 those of，those 代替 the people，以免重複。 3. 他的新小說和上一本風格不同。 ˇ The style of his new novel is different from that of his last one. ˇ His new
對話 Dialogue 清清：華華，別忘了這禮拜五晚上，老闆請喝春酒喔！ Qīngqing: Huáhua, bié wàngle zhè lǐbàiwǔ wǎnshàng, lǎobǎn qǐng hē chūnjiǔ o! 華華：啊！我差點忘了，謝謝提醒。 Huáhua: À! Wǒ chàdiǎn wàngle, xièxie tíxǐng. 清清：老闆人真好，過年前請我們吃尾牙，過完年又請吃春酒。 Qīngqing: Lǎobǎn rén zhēn hǎo, guònián qián qǐng wǒmen chī Wěiyá, guòwán nián yòu qǐng chī chūnjiǔ. 華華：尾牙是感謝我們過去一年的辛勞，春酒是希望我們今年繼續努力啊！ Huáhua: Wěiyá shì gǎnxiè wǒmen guòqù yì nián de xīnláo, chūnjiǔ shì xīwàng wǒmen jīnnián jìxù nǔlì a! 清清：給我加薪，我就努力。 Qīngqing: Gěi wǒ jiāxīn, wǒ jiù nǔlì. 華華：還真是「有錢能使鬼推磨」。 Huáhua: Hái zhēn shì “Yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò.” 清清：那還用說。對了！別只顧著吃，頭牙快到了，農曆二月二是土地公生日，記得跟我去拜拜。 Qīngqing: Nà hái yòng shuō. Duìle! Bié zhǐ gùzhe chī, Tóuyá kuài dàole, nónglì èr yuè èr shì Tǔdìgōng shēngrì, jìdé gēn wǒ qù bàibai. 華華：沒問題，東西我來準備，放心吧！一起發大財！ Huáhua: Méi wèntí, dōngxi wǒ lái zhǔnbèi, fàngxīn ba!
When people think of Spain, they often picture bullfights and flamenco—but there’s another celebration you shouldn’t miss. Every March, Valencia comes alive with “Las Fallas.” Its origins go back centuries to when carpenters burned wooden scraps they no longer needed to welcome spring as winter ended. Over time, the custom evolved from bonfires to giant street sculptures called fallas. This tradition has since developed into a UNESCO-recognized event that attracts millions of visitors. This festival centers on the ritual burning of falla monuments. Each monument is made up of several ninots: giant puppets that are crafted all year by local artists.
RSS