Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies the guidelines for scientific characterization of ceramics with cultural heritage value and the methodology used to achieve it.

Purpose

Ceramics with cultural heritage value offer tangible evidence of human activity and cross-cultural exchange across continents that have spanned the past millennia. These objects——from early earthenware to refined porcelains——served not only practical functions but also embodied technological, aesthetic and social values. The extensive trade networks connecting Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas facilitated widespread intercultural interactions in the form of ceramics, which continuously adapted to fit diverse cultural contexts. Such a material record is crucial for conservation, documentation, and sustainable heritage management. However, this field is currently hampered by inconsistent practices in characterization, which undermine conservation efforts and global collaboration on ceramics.

A primary challenge is the lack of a scientific standard on methodology and description of the characterization of ceramics. This is particularly problematic in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts, where divergent classifications and description impede communication and collaboration in ceramic studies and conservation.

To address these issues, a unified, scientifically grounded, and internationally recognized standard for characterization of ceramics is needed. Such a standard ought to systematically categorise key attributes of ceramics, including but not limited to provenance, material and ceramic type, body, glaze, pigment, shape, decoration, firing techniques, marks and inscriptions. Building on established international frameworks from the European Union, the United States, and China, this proposed standard provides clear definitions and preferred terminology, and will eventually develop a wellstructured narrative framework with a specialized vocabulary. It goes beyond descriptive analysis by also defining visual and physicochemical characterization methodologies, and therefore establishes a structured reporting framework to ensure accuracy, consistency, and comparability across studies and conservation practices in the field of ceramics, thereby fostering global knowledge sharing and sustainable management of ceramic heritage.

Moreover, for contemporary artisans, the proposed standard of scientific characterization of ceramics opens a new dialogue with the past, translating complex historical data into an accessible source of inspiration for modern creation. By providing a structured understanding of form, decoration, and technique of ceramics, it offers modern artists a richer source of inspiration, allowing them to engage with cultural heritage in more informed and innovative ways.

The development of this standard is supported by the Society of International Ceramic Studies (SICS). Founded in October 2023, SICS brings together more than 200 experts from 22 countries. Through its global network of workstations and initiatives like the Ceramic Gene Bank and the World Ceramic Interactive Map, SICS provides essential methodological guidance and organizational capacity, strengthening both the scientific foundation and practical feasibility of the new ISO standard. This standard, on scientific characterization of ceramics, will establish a foundational framework for future ISO standards in more areas of ceramic, enabling a systematic and globally harmonized approach. It also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by means of contributing to knowledge dissemination, supporting sustainable heritage activities, and promoting inclusive access to cultural heritage.