JIN Wenwei, WANG Sisi, LYU Pinchang

(Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Jingdezhen 333403, Jiangxi, China)

Extended abstract:[Significance] In the context of multiculturalism, promoting cultural understanding and trust through the aesthetic empathy effect of cross-cultural media is the core essence of internationalizing ceramic art. As a "borderless" medium for human civilizational exchange, ceramics not only facilitate deep understanding between different cultural systems but also enable creative transformation through the mutual learning of various ethnic cultures. Especially within the historical context of 14th-century trade networks between East and West Asia, a systematic analysis of Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain and its cultural influences can profoundly reveal the formation mechanism and operational logic of cross-cultural aesthetic empathy. The transregional dissemination of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain exemplifies a classic paradigm of aesthetic empathy expression, which is not a one-way cultural output but a mutual process of cultural identification and mutual learning. The core value of this cultural transmission lies in fostering mutual learning through aesthetic appreciation, continuing cultural exchange and expansion, and enriching respective histories and civilizations through empathetic perception.[Progress] The unique material properties, exquisite craftsmanship, firing techniques and color system of Chinese porcelain, combined with the iconic geometric symmetry aesthetics of West Asian Islamic patterns, continuously interweave at the sensory and cognitive levels, achieving cultural identification through the acts of "appropriation" and "reconstruction". As the philosopher David Hume stated in A Treatise of Human Nature, "The minds of men are mirrors to one another", a sentiment perfectly illustrated in the cross-cultural transmission of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain. When viewers from different civilizations appreciate the same blue-and-white artifact, they peer through a mirror into each other's spiritual worlds, breaking through cultural barriers through the experience of "aesthetic appreciation" and "empathy" to achieve deep cultural integration. Through a systematic analysis of the collaborative mechanisms of three dimensions, including visual perception, cognitive construction and referential reconstruction, a dynamic expression model of aesthetic empathy has been constructed. It is to further clarify how Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, transmitted via the Silk Road, broke through cultural cognitive barriers and achieved deep-level cross-cultural meaning construction through the effect of aesthetic empathy, embodied not only in the visual translation of utensil shapes and decorative patterns but also in the cross-civilizational adaptation of craftsmanship techniques and aesthetic concepts.[Conclusions and prospects] It is demonstrated that cross-cultural "media" are rooted in human life, existing both as tangible material forms and intangible entities, intimately linked to human activities of eating, dressing, living, traveling and using. They engage multi-dimensional sensory aesthetic experiences, including visual, tactile, and gustatory perceptions. Their similarities in materials, craftsmanship and functions establish the basis for aesthetic commensurability, while cultural contexts with different linguistic logics endow them with unique forms and differentiated expressions. Therefore, under the influence of multi-dimensional aesthetic empathy, these diverse forms and contents can be unified, aligning functional practicality with cultural communicativeness. Aesthetic empathy serves as a bridge for mutual understanding and tolerance among different cultures, ultimately propelling human civilization to progress in a pluralistic coexisting environment. The finding not only provides a theoretical reference for contemporary cross-cultural media exchange practices but also offers practical approaches with both cultural depth and innovative value for modern ceramic art creation. Future research should further focus on the innovation of cross-cultural narratives in ceramic media in the digital era, exploring the integration of traditional craft aesthetics and contemporary technology to provide more diverse theoretical support and practical cases for constructing new paradigms of multicultural dialogue.

Key words: cross-cultural media; aesthetic empathy; Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain; cultural communication