Mysterious Yingjing pottery captures attention

While porcelains awe audiences with their creamy, understated luster, a unique kind of pottery has captured attention for its opposite qualities — uneven surfaces and dark, dull shades.

The making of this special ware from Yingjing county, Ya'an, Sichuan province, can be traced back some 2,300 years.

Ying Kiln, Black-sand Ware, an exhibition running until Jan 10 at the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum in Beijing, displays more than 200 Yingjing pottery artifacts. This special pottery still relies on several steps in its handcrafting to turn the unique local clay into bowls, resulting in a distinctive appearance that is as coarse as sand and holds a mysterious depth.