Silence of the Lambs... but with pottery.

The short story The Tale of the Porcelain God from Lafcadio Hearn’s Chinese Ghost Stories: Curios Tales of the Supernatural has a very interesting introduction. While the story itself is only a few pages long, a surprising amount of time is spent listing and describing the different types of pottery made by the followers of the god who created porcelain. While the style of writing used in this piece is somewhat unfamiliar to me, I think this section is meant to emphasize the all-knowing power of gods as well as show Bu’s skill with all forms of porcelain making.

                While I do not intend to say that I myself am as skilled in my chosen field of study, nor do I wish to imply that I would walk into a literal fire for the sake of making a flesh vase, I find the theme of putting your true self into your art relatable.  I am sure that with most passions, the passionate feel that they themselves are becoming a part of their art as much as it is becoming part of them. And I appreciate that this piece concludes with the Emperor finding that Bu’s gift really did come from the gods as opposed to the demonic. While the Emperor mourns at the loss of a skilled artisan, I think the ultimate moral is a positive one that rewards the pursuit of one’s passion.

                Here I am saying that the sacrifice of one’s self for one’s art is a positive, but Bu gave his soul with reluctance, only after crafting failed vase after failed vase. Furthermore, the vase utters the name of its creator and pulses with the life of Bu’s soul and, while he is said to be the Porcelain God at the end of the story, part of me wondered if he was trapped in the vase itself. Perhaps the same story which I read with an uplifting eye may, to someone else, appear more horrid and regretful. The sacrifice of someone too talented to live among humans may imply that, while we may strive to achieve greatness, we cannot appear too great, lest we be forced to become a god. Also the image of a vase made of flesh is not exactly charming; especially one that says “BU”.