Novel celebrates women through porcelain art

A new book release in Beijing has shone a spotlight on the ancient Chinese craft of inlaid porcelain, using it as a powerful metaphor for a woman's resilience and rebirth. The novel, Sky Inlaid with Shards, written by author Cai Miaomiao, was promoted by Beijing Times Chinese Press on Thursday at a gathering that brought together literary and cultural figures.

The novel follows Xu Tianren, a woman from the Chaoshan region in Guangdong province, as she strives to preserve the traditional art of inlaid porcelain. This craft, which involves cutting and assembling colorful ceramic shards into intricate designs on rooftops and walls, serves as a metaphor for the protagonist's journey of "breaking and rebuilding" herself. Xu navigates her role as a daughter bound by tradition, a mother fighting for her son, a wife asserting her independence, and ultimately, a master craftswoman.

"Inlaid porcelain is an art of transformation — taking fragments and creating something beautiful and enduring," author Cai explained. She said the novel challenges narratives that cast women as solely bearing heavy responsibilities, instead championing self-actualization through the symbolic process of shattering and rebuilding.

Film editor Zhu Lin, who has been involved in the film adaptation of the novel for two years, drew a parallel between the novel and her own craft: "Cutting porcelain pieces and cutting film are essentially the same, finding the shards that can shine."

She added that Xu's defiant declaration — "breaking the rules is the most powerful truth" — deeply resonated with her and other readers.

The event also featured Xu Shaoxiong, a national-level inheritor of inlaid porcelain craftsmanship, who expressed enthusiasm for the novel's role in bringing the centuries-old artistry, historically found on temples and ancestral halls, to a wider audience. "This craft has been on rooftops for hundreds of years, and now, through stories and films, it can travel the world," he said.