{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1781327"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1781327/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PF8410/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PF8410/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PF8410","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PF8412","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PF8411","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1781327/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1781327","accessionNumber":"FE.59-2024","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Inspired by the research of scientific and microscopic phenomena in living forms such as plant seeds and cells, Shiyuan’s works display vibrant patterns, structures and textures, revealing the complexity and vulnerability of the world of micro-organisms, while using the process of ceramic-making to reflect on how living forms respond to external forces and environmental changes. Each piece is built with paper clay and covered in glazes of white, blue and celadon, colours drawing from the most important categories in the Chinese ceramic palette.\r\n\r\nShe first began to use celadon after seeing a celadon bowl made in the longquan kiln, which was famous for this blue-green colour glaze and its location with proximity to her birth city Hangzhou. In the Growth series, the celadon glaze is applied in the unconventional way of spraying, layer after layer, to create a substantial thickness, which can be observed from the side where some of the glaze is scrapped off to reveal the white body of the clay. The surface of the glaze is however, presented in a rustic, almost fussy texture produced by the combination of spraying technique and a special glaze recipe which is rich in calcium. The effect mimics organic forms exist in nature such as corals and mosses, while goes against conventional perception of celadon wares which is prized for its smooth, jade-like surface. ","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2025PF8410","2025PF8412","2025PF8411"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"146","id":"THES49092"},"free":"","case":"CA7","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"AAT47090"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2021","earliest":"2021-01-01","latest":"2021-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Presented by Art Fund","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"480","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"540","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"220","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Sculpture, 'Vena (celadon) No.1', glazed paperclay, by Xu Shiyuan (b.1989), U.S.A, 2021","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["FE.59-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"59","accessionNumberPrefix":"FE","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-13","recordCreationDate":"2024-05-24","availableToBook":false}}