Technical Studies and Replication of Guan Ware, an Ancient Chinese Ceramic
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Technical Studies and Replication of Guan Ware, an Ancient Chinese Ceramic Li Jiazhi, Deng Zequn, and Xu Jiming Introduction When North China was invaded in 1127, the emperor of the Song dynasty moved the capital to Lin’an (now called Hangzhou) in Zhejiang Province southeast of Shanghai. He established the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279 A.D.), known as a period of cultural flowering and stability in Chinese history. Several years later, official kilns were built by court officials to meet the need for the porcelains required for use at the Southern Song palace. A new style of porcelain ware, known as Southern Song Guan ware (“Guan” meaning “imperial”), was produced that differs in appearance (Figure 1) from any of the ceramic ware made for the Northern Song dynasty court. These new kilns collectively are called the Southern Song Guan kilns. Compared with what we know of the long tradition and technology of manufacturing celadons (pottery having a pale green glaze) in the north and the south of China, the Guan kilns created celadons distinguished in having a translucent, crackled glaze with a wide variation of jade-like colors, a thin body of 1–5 mm, a thick glaze that is often thicker than the thinnest bodies, and special features called “purple mouth” and “iron foot.” Because the quality of the celadons was unprecedentedly high, scholars for the last 700 years consistently have classified Southern Song Guan ware as one of the “five classic wares” of the Song dynasty.
Literary References According to the book Tan Zhai Bi Heng, written by Ye Zhi, a writer of the Southern Song dynasty, that has been cited frequently by other authors but of which we no longer have an original copy, the Southern Song Guan kilns were established in two places in Hangzhou. Nei Yao
MRS BULLETIN/JANUARY 2001
Although an intensive surface survey has uncovered some sherds at Wansongling, no kilns have been found there. However, a kiln site was discovered in 1996 about 2.5 km away from the Jiaotanxia Guan kiln site at Laohudong (Tiger Cave), a relatively inaccessible site in a small, steep valley to the south of Wansongling (see Figure 2). Since 1998, a 15-m-long dragon kiln and three bisque-firing (first-firing) kilns have been excavated; a large enclosure wall has also been found. In total, the excavations have covered about 800 m2. A workshop area to the east of the kiln contained large vats of raw glaze. A large quantity of glazed sherds, bisque-fired sherds, and kiln furniture, such as setters (supports) and saggars (coarse ceramic containers for protection of the ware during firing and cooling), have been excavated in the Southern Song stratum. In addition, a later Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 A.D.) stratum that overlies the Southern Song stra-
(the imperial kiln) was first established at Xiuneisi (the Bureau of the Imperial Household) near Wansongling (the Forest of 10,000 Pines) at the foot of Fenghuangshan (Phoenix Hill), and then somewhat later, another new kiln was set up in the foothills, Wuguishan, below the “suburban altar” whe
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