Lesson 14, February 17, 1982 ## What Does "Practical" Mean? Four simple phrases summarize it: (1) Safety in use; (2) Suitability in use; (3) Convenience in use; (4) Feel in use. ### Safety (1) Pay attention to the stability of the vessel's center of gravity; (2) The proportions of the vessel's height and width must be appropriate. If the proportions are inappropriate and the center of gravity is unstable, it will appear unsteady, giving people a feeling that it is about to topple over. Moreover, an unstable center of gravity makes it易损坏 [易 to damage]. ### Suitability (1) Suitability of materials; (2) Suitability of capacity; (3) Suitability of vessel form. For example, pure red clay is suitable for making small teapots—above 500 milliliters is not appropriate because the shrinkage rate is high. The "square concave-ribbed bamboo top" style is suitable for medium and large sizes and should be simple and refined. If the "square concave-ribbed bamboo top" is made in a small size, it will appear cluttered and difficult to handle. ### Convenience (1) Large vessel forms should develop simultaneously in length, width, and height; (2) Small vessel forms can be considered in terms of flatness and smallness; (3) Pouring water should be smooth and flowing. ### Feel (1) Visual beauty; (2) Comfortable to the touch. Uniformity, balance, variation, and unity—these eight characters are the principles of vessel composition. ## Achieving Good Economic Results To achieve good economic results, the following points must be accomplished: 1. When basic skills are proficient, speed will naturally improve; 2. When design is reasonable, operations will be simplified; 3. When craftsmanship improves, one can work with ease and mastery; 4. Production methods must conform to the requirements of manufacturing technology. Simple production methods should be adopted to achieve the best results. If this is not done, the contradiction between economy and beauty (quality) cannot be resolved.