Poet: Sarah Howe • Animation direction: Aindri C

Thanks to Helmie Stil, Judith Palmer, Nandini Das

The poem raises attention to material processes of production and transformation- kilns in China to the cabinets and mantelpieces in Europe.

Marbled paper-inspired by the techniques Suminagashi and Ebru– become the animated canvas on which objects are placed. Sometimes they represented maps, sometimes cracks in the porcelain. The journey of these pieces along the Silk Route mostly ended up as part of shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean. Many had precious metal handle and base added to them when they arrived in Europe thus changing their original function.