There is evidence of a long conversation between ceramics and ritual bronze vessels, which have long been revered in China as symbols of ancient tradition. The courts of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties since the 10th century ordered porcelain objects to imitate bronze ritual vessels of the archaic Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties (2100s – 221 BCE), such as the gu, fu, gui, zun dou and xing.

The discovery of different glaze recipes has enriched and redefined understanding of the ritual system. Different colours were assigned to varied ceremonies, such as azure for the worship of heaven, yellow for earth and agriculture, red for the sun, light blue for the moon and white for ancestors.

Among Liu Jianhua’s 37 pieces of contemporary porcelain a few tall and slender items undoubtedly imitate the ancient bronze ritual wine vessels gu and zun. These similarities suggest a nostalgia for long-lost rituals amidst the materialism of the modern world. But they also raise the question of whether tradition can be revived by simply echoing the forms of the past.