Han Dynasty:

Correlative History: Origin of Porcelain
Famous Kilns: Yue(yao) Kiln
Shape and Technique: Porcelain In Celadon Glaze, Jar

Huns Invade China,China Fragmented

Shape and Technique: Pot, Vase, Zun, Porcelain in White Glaze

 Origin of Porcelain

The porcelain ware of China is a result from the long-time development of pottery-making techniques. When there were the following three conditions, porcelain ware emerged: first, adoption of porcelain stone containing rich sericite elements as the raw material of the ceramic body; second, increase of the temperature of kiln stove up to 1300, with the support of the building techniques of kiln stove; third, development of the wood-ash glaze. The three conditions matured in Yuyao region of Zhejiang by the end of Eastern Han Dynasty from A.D.113 to 175,when wood-ash glaze could be coated on the body at high-temperature, looking bluish green or yellowish green. That was why the very first porcelain ware invented by Chinese was high-temperature glazed celadon ware. Yuyao belonged to Yuezhou in the ancient times, this celadon ware was thus called as "Yuezhou Celadon" which was actually China's earliest porcelain genre.

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Yue(yao) Kiln

Located in the Nibo-shaoxing plain south of Hangzhou Bay in East China (northeastern part of the present Zhejiang Province),Yue(yao) kiln was the first in the world to produce porcelains. As early as the beginning of Warring States period (475-221 BC), it became famous for the production of primitive celadon with delicate texture. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), it turned out real porcelain articles, among them its celadon was the most excellent. As lustrous and transparent as a clear spring, the glaze on the body established its fame for its color of "mountains in green." During the Five Dynasties period, Yue kiln was declared an official kiln whose products were forbidden to be used by ordinary people. Thus they were called "porcelain of mysterious colors." Since Song Dynasty, porcelain techniques witnessed rapid development across the country, especially in Jingdezhen. And gradually Yueyao kiln fell into decay.

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Porcelain In Celadon Glaze


The earliest porcelain. Due to its glaze color showing as bluish yellow, light yellow, and pure bluish green, this kind of object was called as "celadon". Celadon has undergone four stages of development: (1) Celadon in the period from Han Dynast to Tang and Five Dynasties. This was the earliest celadon called as "Zhaoyao kiln Celadon". (2) Celadon made by Song's official kilns. By Song Dynasty, celadon had developed into eight glaze colors, produced by eight kiln systems. The glazed color took sky blue as the dominant, showing soft and clean like spring water, and smooth and full like fine jade. (3) Celadon made by Longquanyao Kiln in Song and Yuan Dynasties. This was the peak period of Chinese ancient celadon arts and crafts. Its glaze was smooth and thick like a frozen jade, with pale blue and plum green as the most attractive. (4) Celadon made by Geyao Kiln in Yuan Dynasty. The celadon by the end of Yuan Dynasty featured its bluish green color with varying gradations. The glazed surface was smooth and lustrous and with fracture strings, similar to Guanyao Kiln ware of Southern Song, featuring a style of imitation glaze.

Jar


Porcelain jar was characterized generally by large mouth, short neck, deep and round belly, ring foot. It emerged in Eastern Han Dynasty. Till Sui and Tang Dynasties, it became popular to ribbon ornaments on the belly. Three were a lot of modeling for jar including ribbon jar, pomegranate-shape jar,(Military) General Jar, Tian-character jar, pagoda-shaped covered jar as well as cricket jar and bird-feeling jar and so on, with the products made in the Jingdezhen kiln during Ming and Qing Dynasties the best.

Pot


Once used as water container, the porcelain pot started appearing since Han Dynasty. Before Jin Dynasty, the pot had no handle, but with loop-handle attached to the shoulder or double ear-shaped handles on the neck. In Tang Dynasty the one with handles became popular. It had various types including ewer (handled pot), pear-shaped pot, Duomu pot, monk's cap-shaped pot, Buddhism pot, flower-watering, water ewer (dropper) and so on.

Vase


Vase (ping) was used as utensil containing liquids or arranging flowers in ancient times, characterized by big belly, small mouth, tall body and thin base. Porcelain vase appeared as early as in Southern Dynasty, with duck-egg-mouthed vase in shape of kettle possibly as the earliest one of its kind. The vase became popular in Sui and tang Dynasties and was widely made in Song Dynasty. The products made in Jingdezhen were the most famous and precious, as well as the most colorful in modeling, of the porcelain vase made during three Dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Most of them were plum vase, Yuhuchun vase, globular vase, club-shaped vase, garlic-head-shaped vase, double-gourd-shaped vase, gall-shaped vase, elephant-leg-shaped vase, awarding vase, etc.

Zun


Porcelain Zun appeared in Song Dynasty, once used as display work. Generally it was shorter than vase, open mouth, wide neck, with mouth large than belly or the same between mouth and base. The products made in Jingdezhen in Qing Dynasty were of most varieties including the phoenix-tail-shaped Zun, oxhead-shaped Zun, Taibai Zun, Guanyin Zun, bell-shaped Zun, radish-shaped (Laifu) Zun, string-bag-shaped Zun, fish-hamper-shaped Zun and so on, with those in colored glazes and with colorful patterns most common.

Porcelain in White Glaze


The emergence of white porcelain is considered as a milestone in the annals of porcelain development as it laid a foundation for the later emergence and development of varieties of colored porcelains. Archaeological discoveries confirm that continuous production of white porcelain began in the Northern Qi period (550-577 AD). The sites of the earliest white porcelain kilns so far are those of Tang porcelain kilns north of the Yangtse River, among them the Xing(yao) kiln of Hebei (Province) was the most famous. Yet at the end of Tang and during the Five Dynasties, the Ding(yao) kiln of Quyang gradually replaced Xingyao as the most well-known for its production of white porcelain of higher quality. Other white porcelain products in Tang Dynasty include the kilns of Gongxian, Hebi, Mixian, Dengfeng, Jiaxian, Yingtang and Anyang in Henan (Province), the kilns of Hunyuan and Pingding of Shanxi (Province), the kiln of Yaozhou of Shaanxi (Province) and the kiln of Xiao(yao) of Anhui (Province). Up to now no side of any Tang kiln that produced white porcelain has been discovered south of the Yangtse River. The kilns of Shengmeiting, Shihuwan and Huangnitou in Jingdezhen, whose sites were discovered in the 1950s, were the earliest so far south of the Yangtse River to produce white porcelain. Their production dated back to the Five Dynasties period (906-960 AD). The white porcelain made in the Xing kiln north of the Yangtse River were very popular during Tang Dynasty, enjoying good prestige together with the celadon of the Yue kiln south of the River. We can see it in the "cha ou shi: tea-cup poem" written by the Tang poet Pi Rixiu: "Xing and Yue people are both experts in making porcelains. With its mouth as round as the full moon, the tea cup is as light as a piece of cloud. In it are swirling Chinese date blossom and permeably fragrant tea leaves. Beneath the pine-tree, I see Zhigong there also holding a tea cup, drinking."