PRESERVING FOLK CERAMICS HERITAGE: POWER, KNOWLEDGE, AND THE CONFIDENTIALITY SYSTEM IN KNOWLEDGE TRANSMISSION

Abstract

This article examines contemporary ceramic handicraft heritage education within the context of Chinese folk ceramics. It also investigates the current state of the confidentiality mechanism in the folk master-apprentice education system. Using ethnographic methods, the study analyzes master studios in Jingdezhen, China's porcelain capital, to document the master-apprentice educational process and evaluate the implications of preserving or modifying traditional secrecy practices. Our findings reveal a striking paradox: while long-standing identity-based "secrecy" systems are eroding , thereby expanding learning opportunities for outsiders, masters persistently maintain deliberate verbal confidentiality in teaching. Moreover, under selection mechanisms, non-verbal teaching forms embodied by "Wu" not only preserve traditions but also enhance the durability and cohesion of technical heritage transmission. Exploring how traditions adapt or maintain equilibrium amid industrialized societies' relentless pursuit of scientific productivity can advance heritage preservation and educational research.