I've been there...

A precious piece of Song Dynasty porcelain was damaged during "nondestructive" testing by a research staff member, the Forbidden City authorities confirmed on Sunday, a day after a Web user had already leaked the information online.

Weibo microblog user Long Can alleged on Saturday that a Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) porcelain plate had been smashed about 20 days ago. The thread was reposted more than 15,000 times as of on Sunday evening.

The museum confirmed the claim on Sunday, announcing a Ge kiln blue glaze plate had been damaged. The 4.1 centimeter-high, 20.2 centimeter-diameter plate is one of 1,797 relics listed as national grade-one quality on the official museum website.

"The plate was crushed in nondestructive testing," Chang Lingxing, a publicity office employee of the museum, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Chang refused to reveal exactly how the expensive plate was damaged or how bad that damage was. Nor would he speculate about why the Palace Museum had waited 26 days to announce the accident.

The museum does not price its collection, Chang said, leaving the question of financial losses also unanswered.

"There's no way to estimate the value of national grade-one cultural relics," private collector Ma Weidu told the Global Times on Sunday in Beijing, "but as far as I know in auctions held in New York and London last year, the strike prices for two Ge Kiln porcelain pieces were more than 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) each."

Ma was quoted by China National Radio on Sunday as calling the accident the result of an irresponsible attitude on the part of the museum.

"It's all about being responsible," he said.

A museum-appointed investigation team had established the cause of the accident on Tuesday, according to a press release issued on Sunday by the museum.

The investigation team had also decided to punish the culprit, Chang said, but would not say how. He refused to identify the researcher either.

The testing was part of a Song Dynasty ceramics study project, suspended since the accident. A "nondestructive machine" had analyzed more than 50 ceramic pieces before the project was halted, according to the press release.

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World Records like pots, are made to be broken

From Your Maidstone News, Author/Photographer unknown

Billy sets a new world record for making most pots

Mark ‘Billy’ Byles smashed the previous record of 83 by crafting an impressive 150 pots in the 60 minutes.

A large crowd turned out at the The Friars' Aylesford Priory on Sunday to see the venue’s own contestant set the new world’s best.

Mr Byles, the co-founder of Aylesford Pottery set within the religious grounds, was delighted by his record-breaking effort.

He told Yourmaidstone: “I’m feeling really happy. It was fantastic and a really good atmosphere.

“I was quite surprised by the amount of people that turned up but you could feel the anxiety – I’m quite happy that feeling has gone away now.”

Although he was quietly confident of beating the record, Mr Byles, from Ashford, had hurt his hand while making big terracotta pots days before the event.

He braved the injury to get on with the competition, saying: “My hand was OK, I just kept going but I’m resting it now.”


Former record holder Mary Chapelhow did her best to defend her title but even though she made more than her previous record, she lost out to Mr Byles by 32 pots.

Speaking before the competition Ms Chapelhow said that The Friars’ potter was her toughest competitor and perhaps it was time for a new champion.

She said: “This is Billy’s thing because he works in production and is used to it, so he should be feeling pretty confident.

“I have been doing this for many years now so maybe it is time for a change and to let someone else be the world record holder.”

Mr Byles, 37, said: “Mary did really well, she was a bit gutted she lost her title but that is just because she is so competitive.”

Mr Byles and Ms Chapelhow were joined in the final by David Melville, from Rochester.

There was meant to be more contestants but Mr Byles believes they backed out because they knew they wouldn’t stand a chance.

The world record attempt ran throughout the annual Potters Market, at the Friars, which attracts pottery enthusiasts from across the country.

Smashing

Apparently, if you live in Southern California, and have anger issues, I have found the perfect place for you. Sarah's Smash Shack, is a place in San Diego (...I'm told it means Whale's Vagina...). Where for a fee, one can go and safely smash ceramics to your hearts content. But I'm sure that everyone reading this blog, can just go out to the studio and get the job done on thier own.
Good Times.

I have to say, it is the small overlooked ideas, that can be great ones. When I was in college, I used to work for a pottery. Every once in a while one of the ladies who worked on the floor would disapear followed by a chorus of smashhing and screaming. When I eventually inquired to one of my other co-workers what was going on. I was told that is young lady was having problems in her personal life, and the way she delt with it was to go out ot the shard pile, to Smash and Scream. It made her feel better.


Sarah's Smach Shack