Taoshuo 陶說

Taoshuo 陶說 is a treatise on the production of chinaware written by Zhu Yan 朱琰 (mid to late 18th cent.), courtesy name Tongchuan 桐川, style Liting 笠亭. The book of 6 juan length must have been completed before 1774. It is the oldest specialized book on the production and art of pottery.

The text is divided into four parts, the first two introducing the most important places of pottery production in the then-present age (1) and the past (2). The first fascicle presents the types of china produced in Raozhou 饒州 (modern Fanyang 鄱陽, Jiangxi) and illustrations on the manufacturing process. The pictures are accompanied by a text detailing each step of manufacture. An appendix resumes the most important statements. The second fascicle explains the history of pottery kilns (yao 窯) in China, with a focus on different types. Juan 3 goes back to the furnaces of Raozhou and their history, as well as the construction of furnaces and kilns. The last part of the book (4-6) describes various types of pottery vessels and their production methods over time, beginning in the mythical age, and ending in the early Qing period 清 (1644-1911). All chapters are connected to the kilns of Raozhou, where not only private manufacturers were running their business, but also the government (guanyao 官窯 "government kilns"). Zhu’s book is therefore not only of great interest concerning the history of crafts, but also on the business operations of the Ming and Qing states.

The book must not be confounded with Liu Fenci's 劉子芬 Zhuyuan taoshuo 竹園陶說. It was translated into English by Stephen Bushell as Description of Chinese Pottery and Porcelain: Being a translation of the T'ao Shuo (Oxford: Clarendon, 1910). The text is found in the series Cuiliangganguan congshu 翠琅玕館叢書, Longwei bishu 龍威祕書, Meishu congshu 美術叢書, Shuoshi 說詩, Yishu congshu 藝術叢書 and Yuyuan congshu 芋園叢書.