FASHION-INSPIRED SURFACE DECORATION IN YIXING PURPLE CLAY POTTERY: BRIDGING TRADITION AND CONTEMPORARY DESIGN (HIASAN PERMUKAAN BERINSPIRASIKAN FESYEN PADA TEMBIKAR TANAH LIAT UNGU YIXING: MENGHUBUNGKAN TRADISI DAN REKA BENTUK KONTEMPORARI)

Abstract

Abstract 

As an important part of China's intangible cultural heritage, Yixing purple clay pottery is highly valued for its craftsmanship and symbolic depth. However, its surface decoration has largely remained confined to traditional vocabulary, thus creating a gap between heritage preservation and contemporary design innovation. This study explores fashion-inspired decoration as a design language for innovating the surface of Yixing tea pottery, positioning the ceramic craft in a dialogue between tradition and modernity. Explore the clothing techniques of embroidery, patchwork, micro-hooking, and weaving to study how to transform clothing-based decorative practices into clay surfaces, thereby enriching visual and symbolic expression. This study uses a descriptive qualitative analysis method to classify and analyse the instances of fashion elements integrated into Yixing purple clay decoration. The results of the study show that fashion-inspired decoration expands the aesthetic vocabulary of Yixing ceramics, deepens their cultural resonance, and promotes a hybrid design strategy that attracts contemporary audiences while preserving heritage. This study has conducted an in-depth case analysis of innovative decoration practices, providing new design language models and practical references for the contemporary expression of Yixing purple clay art. It has contributed to the sustainable inheritance and development of Chinese intangible cultural heritage crafts. 

Keywords: Yixing purple clay, fashion decoration, design language, surface innovation, cross-material design, cultural heritage.

Abstrak 

Sebagai sebahagian penting daripada warisan budaya tidak ketara China, tembikar tanah liat ungu Yixing mempunyai nilai tinggi dari segi pertukangan, fungsi ritual dan makna simbolik. Namun begitu, aspek hiasan permukaannya masih banyak berpaksikan gaya tradisional, sekali gus mewujudkan jurang antara pemeliharaan warisan dan inovasi reka bentuk kontemporari. Kajian ini meneliti pendekatan hiasan berinspirasikan fesyen sebagai satu bahasa reka bentuk baharu bagi memperkaya permukaan tembikar teh Yixing serta membuka ruang wacana antara tradisi dan kemodenan dalam konteks arkeologi reka bentuk. Pendekatan ini meneroka teknik tekstil seperti sulaman, tampalan, kait mikro dan anyaman bagi memahami bagaimana unsur hiasan pakaian dapat ditransformasikan ke dalam permukaan tanah liat, sekali gus memperluas makna visual, tekstur dan simbolik bahan tersebut. Kaedah kualitatif deskriptif digunakan bagi mengklasifikasi dan menganalisis contoh integrasi elemen fesyen dalam hiasan tembikar tanah liat ungu Yixing.Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa adaptasi teknik berinspirasikan fesyen bukan sahaja memperluas kosa kata estetik seramik Yixing, tetapi turut memperkukuh resonans budaya serta membentuk strategi reka bentuk hibrid yang mengekalkan kesinambungan nilai tradisi dalam konteks kontemporari. Kajian ini turut mengemukakan analisis kes mendalam terhadap amalan hiasan inovatif, sekali gus memperkenalkan model bahasa reka bentuk baharu yang berpotensi menyumbang kepada pembangunan lestari dan pewarisan kraf seramik tradisional China.

Kata kunci: Tanah liat ungu Yixing, dekorasi fesyen, bahasa reka bentuk, inovasi permukaan, arkeologi rekabentuk