Liling cashes in on its colorful past

Wang Lixin shows off a piece of 'red porcelain'.He has been collecting such porcelain formore than 10years. [Photo by Feng Zhiwei / China Daily]

Red porcelain pieces are prized by collectors

The "red porcelain" pieces produced in Liling have become famous and are collectors' items thanks to their historical background and very limited amount produced.

A set of underglaze-colored porcelain bowls - five pieces in total, which were made for Mao Zedong by Liling's Qunli Porcelain Factory in the early 1970s, was auctioned for nearly 10 million yuan ($1.56 million) in Hong Kong in 2013.

"The record-high price is evidence that the red porcelain pieces of Liling are popular," says Wang Lixin, who has been collecting such porcelain for more than 10 years.

Born into a family that has a deep connection to porcelain in Liling, Wang is one of the most famous collectors of red porcelain.

He has more than 100 pieces of red porcelain produced between 1958 and 1974, including a rare tea set, which is identical to one used by Chairman Mao.

Many of the items he has collected are top quality and classic pieces, though he also has some that have tiny imperfections, say Wang.

"But all of them have special value because of their history," says Wang.

The 50-year-old also has studied the history of red porcelain.

He often visits old masters in Liling to talk to them about experiences when they were part of the project to make porcelain for the nation's top leaders.

According to Wang, each piece of "red porcelain" was carefully designed and repeatedly modified before it was finally ready. They are the painstaking works of many porcelain masters together.

"The red porcelain represents the peak of Liling's art," says Wang, adding, "It's important to record this history of Liling, instead of letting it die."