Imagine, at an 18th-century European noble banquet, a group of fair-haired and blue-eyed foreigners gathers around a porcelain bowl from China, cheering and exclaiming with delight. This porcelain bowl, brimming with fine wine, captivates the guests, who, with a slight intoxication on their faces, eagerly evaluate its beauty. Upon closer inspection, they discover intricate depictions of characters and stories from the renowned Chinese classical opera"The West Chamber".

Nearly three centuries later, this porcelain bowl is bestowed with the name Famille Rose Outlined Figure Porcelain Bowl with Stories from the Qianlong Period (1735-1796) during the Qing Dynasty, and once again, it reappears before us as an exquisite cultural relic, showcased at the Guangdong Museum.

Recently, Professor Dong Shangde, a renowned expert in Chinese opera studies and a professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Sun Yat-sen University, granted an exclusive interview to the Yangcheng Evening News. Through an exploration of "The West Chamber" and its connection to this painted porcelain, he elucidated the enchanting fusion between classical Chinese literature and Chinese ceramics.

"Foreigners may not comprehend the textual essence of 'The West Chamber', but they can gain an understanding of the timeless love story of Chinese classics through the pictorial narratives depicted on porcelain, which makes theatrical scenes real and classic," said Professor Dong Shangde.

【视频】瓷上西厢记，经典传海千万里｜名家说名作·粤藏于海⑤

试想一下，在一场18世纪的欧洲贵族宴会上，一群金发碧眼的外国人围绕着一件来自中国的瓷器大碗欢呼雀跃。这件瓷器盛放着宴会美酒，宾客们面带微醺，争相品评。定睛一看，大碗周围刻画的竟是中国古典戏曲名著《西厢记》的人物故事图……

大约三百年后，这件瓷器大碗被取名为“清雍正粉彩开光《西厢记》人物故事图潘趣大碗”，作为一件精致的文物又呈现在我们眼前，出现在广东省博物馆展览上。

日前，著名戏曲研究专家、中山大学中文系教授董上德接受羊城晚报专访，从《西厢记》到西厢瓷，解读了中国古典文学与中国瓷器彼此交融的魅力所在。

“外国人不一定能读懂《西厢记》的文本，但他们能通过瓷器上的图画了解中国经典的爱情故事。这就是我们所说的戏剧场景的物质化、经典化。”董上德教授表示。

（鸣谢：广东省博物馆 广东外语外贸大学留学生教育学院 中山大学中文系）

总策划 | 杜传贵 林海利
总统筹 | 孙爱群 陈桥生
统筹执行 | 邓琼 吴小攀 朱绍杰
文 | 记者 文艺 朱绍杰 梁善茵 实习生 肖佳妮
视频出镜 | 董上德 阿列娜（俄罗斯）利玛窦（俄罗斯）
图 | 文三原
译  | 陈萱