Master Xu's feats of clay

Xu Xiutang sits at the head of a long table taking the center of an arbor. Behind him is a large leather handbag with a protruding strap. The only thing that looks out of place is the mouth sticking out of the other end. Of course you won't feel strange if you know it is actually a teapot in the shape of a handbag - made of pottery no less.

Xu did not make the pot, which is functional if you want. One of his apprentices did. As a 70-year-old grand master of Yixing zisha pottery, Xu does not need extra attention - he has plenty. Dozens of his sculptures are built into a downtown park, portraying local life as it was when he was a boy.

Xu started as an apprentice in the 1950s. But unlike most craftsmen who were intent on making good teapots, Xu couldn't help molding the zisha clay into figurines, some of which could also be used as teapots. His talent for sculpture was discovered and he was sent to work on a public project.

That stint opened a new vista for him. "You can make products or you can make works of art," he says. He nimbly straddles both worlds, but obviously he is inclined towards the latter.

Like the clay he uses, Xu's work is nourished by local tradition and folk culture. But he is open to new influences. Sometimes he hosts artists from Western countries who stay in his 2-hectare compound and make whatever they desire with zisha. His apprentices are also encouraged to develop their own styles.

Xu's home is a shrine to all things associated with folk customs, especially those no longer in use.

Giant grinding stones form a circular wall lining up the driveway. Big vats and farm tools such as wooden wind machines are neatly stored in a hanger-like warehouse - testament to a bygone era. A pond with lotuses, an arbor and a wooden boat add a touch of rustic allure.

Only in the building that houses his bedroom does he display some of his own work, with the second floor serving as a formal exhibition room.

One look around his compound and you'll know where his inspiration comes from - life as it is depicted in folktales, life as idyllic as a rice paddy, and life that is more or less preserved in this part of a southern town.

(China Daily 11/20/2007 page19)