The Craft and Customs of the Li Potters of Hainan

The Li nationals who live in the Hainan province of China (thanks to its relatively closed environment) have been able to preserve the lifestyle of primitive society, and pottery production techniques dating 6,000 years old from the Neolithic Age.

This lends great value to studies on the origin of pottery, the material used and the cultures of early humans. The Li pottery craft is often referred to as the ‘living fossils’ of a primitive ceramic civilisation and in 2006 were included on the state-level Intangible Cutural heritage list of China.

The craftsmanship of pottery is passed through the maternal line of the Li people and reflects their belief that woman in their matriarchal clan society establish and control the techniques of making ceramics. The Li preserved their matriarchal social customs until the mid-1950s whereby upon reaching the age of thirteen or fourteen years, both male and female clan. This was a relatively independent house, without a kitchen, where single young people could get to know each other, establish relationships and have children. If a child was born out of wedlock, they would be protected by their mother’s brothers and when their mother married, the child would easily be accepted and raised by step-fathers, enjoying equal rights and no discrimination.