Lv Junjie poses for photos with the Pierre de Coubertin medal at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan 15, 2018. (XU JINQUAN / XINHUA)

LAUSANNE - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal on Monday to a Chinese master of Zisha, which literally means "purple clay," to Lv Junjie, who became the first Zisha artist to claim the award.

The medal was inaugurated in 1964 and named in honor of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Zisha is a type of clay that has been used in Chinese pottery since the Ming dynasty. The finished stoneware is used for teaware and other small items, and is usually unglazed and red or brown in color. Lv earned recognition from the IOC because of his work using Zisha to spread the Olympic spirit.

"It's my first time stepping into the IOC headquarters," Lv said. "It has nothing to do with me, that this traditional art of Zisha can receive such recognition from IOC. It is because of the uniqueness and enduring spirit of Chinese culture," he added.