Technical art history of Tibetan ceramics from Jinchuan and Dêgê workshops in Sichuan Province, China

Utilitarian objects from two contrasting traditional ceramic workshops in Tibetan areas of Sichuan Province, China, are analyzed from a technical art history perspective expanded by a heritage science scope. Methods include workshop observations; interviews with “living artists” and others involved in selecting and processing raw materials, fabricating and firing objects, and using finished ceramics; and close examination and analysis via optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, micro-CT, and 2D/3D image analysis. Results reveal how each workshop achieves their intended visual effects and performance characteristics through a series of deliberate choices. This project advances the aim of integrating technical art history with the broader scope of heritage science to illuminate diverse cultural practices and provides documentation as these workshops disappear or evolve in the modern world. The information gained by studying still-existing traditional workshops can also provide insights into historical collections where direct observation and questioning are no longer possible.