As a Chinese ceramics amateur and collector, I needed to react to Ai Weiwei connection and use of Chinese ceramics.

In 2004, the artist decided to use the deep symbol of ceramics to express himself. If not the highest, ceramics has ranged among the top of art support in China since several thousand years. The Han dynasty potteries were already wonderful and this has gone through all years and dynasties, the Jin, the Song, the Ming and the Qing. Today ceramics remains a major art medium across Chinese culture. It has crossed the ages and the dynasties being a common feature of Chinese culture

In 2004, A Weiwei leveraged ceramics three ways to express its artistic thoughts.

 1) he turned several real antique ceramics dating back from the Han dynasty. After 2200 years of harmony and silence, these vases, most probably funeral urns, have been twisted into objects of provocation with a simple flashy red Coca-Cola brand painted on them. These ancient and harmonious pieces of funeral art stay pieces of art but they now express the opposition of US consumption and Chinese millenary presence. Ai Weiwei is known to be a strong opponent of Chinese power and his action could be interpreted two ways:

- US consumption excess

- Just the will to provoke today's Chinese society and power as they have now entered into full liberal society from an economic point of view at the expense of Chinese authentic culture and heritage. Maybe Chinese culture has just lost its landmarks between capitalism and repression of democracy?

 2) Ai Weiwei has also designed and fired some original new white and blue ceramics in the Ming dynasty style. This wonderful large size jar could be considered a masterpiece of execution bu ceramics amateurs.

However, the drawings on it are all the more modern although ancient styled. They figure out some war tanks together with soldiers equipped with automatic weapons. The landscape is traditional from a ceramics art point of view with ruyi clouds, bamboos and foliage decorative features.

No need to interpret this voluntary misappropriation of Chinese major art. Every ceramics collector would like to have this jar in his collection but the drawings is highly disturbing, can only provoke reaction against armed repression.

3) Last provokation: Ai Weiwei published a series of 3 provokative pictures. In the first one he is handling an antique han dynasty funeral jar in his hands. In the second, the jar is falling in the air as he has just let it fall down. In the third picture, the jar is just smashing in the Ground. 

Again, very provokative to break such an ancient piece of art for the sake of modern expression and art. At least, this jar will remain in all memories afterwards, much more as if it has remained in the cellar of a provincial museum or in the private museum. or even worse, if it had gone broken without this picture just while mishandling!

But to be honest, I still feel ill at ease with the action of breaking such a piece of art and I think Ai Weiwei intention is well met: provocation, questioning over one billion Chinese culture people about their culture and identity. And in fact it will be several billions as this piece of art may remain visible for ever now digital memories exist.

In the end, I feel this series of art pieces is very powerful. 

Two last comments, Ai Weiwei please stop smashing antique ceramics now! I much prefer when you design, draw and fire new ones!

And thank your for having smashed non gazed Han dynasty, rather than celadon Song's one.

Please readers, leave some reactions and comments!

The value of the 3 pictures series

https://www.sothebys.com/fr/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.42.html/2016/contemporary-art-evening-auction-l16020