Master of Art and Crafts of China  Xu Xiutang

Born in Yixing Shushan Zisha family. In 1954, he studied under the famous Zisha pottery engraver Ren Ganting. In 1955, he joined the Shushan Pottery Cooperative (the predecessor of Yixing Zisha Craft Factory). "Clay Figure Zhang (Zhang Jinghu)" studio learns color sculpture. In 1978, he created "Snow Boat Learning Painting", etc., participated in the Yixing Ceramic Exhibition and the National Ceramic Art Exhibition in Beijing successively, and won the National Art Design Award. Later, he created group works based on literature, art, and folk allusions, such as "Eight Monsters Sitting" and "Eight Immortals Drinking in a Drink". In 1987, he presided over the Sculpture Art Studio of Ji Fou Zhai, Zisha No. 2 Factory, and was enthusiastic about cultivating young artists. In April 1990, "Eighteen Arhats" was published in the "Second China Purple Pottery Art Exhibition". Founded Changle Pottery Village in 1995.

Xu Xiutang integrated pottery carvings and pottery sculptures to design and create unique purple clay pots, such as "Lingle Leopard Pot", "Suzaku Pot", "Bamboo Ping Ping" and so on. Published thesis "Art Theory of Zisha Pottery Carving". In 1992, he co-edited "Yixing Zisha Treasures" with Gu Jingzhou and Li Changhong, which was published by Hong Kong Sanlian Bookstore. There are many monographs "Chinese Zisha", "Master Talking Device-Xu Xiutang Talking about Zisha", "Zisha Crafts", "Yixing Zisha Zisha Crafts Illustrated Book", etc. for Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House, Zhejiang People's Publishing House, Published and distributed by Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy Publishing House. His works "Sit on Eight Monsters", "Bingyin", "Immortal Life", etc. won the first prize in the National Ceramic Competition. "Tea Caddy" Collection of the British Museum in London, England. Works such as "Liu Hai Plays with Golden Toad", "Gong Chun", "Zhang Tian", and "The First Pottery Monk" have been collected by major museums at home and abroad.