Song Dynasty Porcelain: The Pinnacle of Chinese Ceramics

Chinese ceramic art is a significant symbolof human civilization and holds a pivotal position in Chinese cultural history.The Northern Song Dynasty was a period of highly advanced ancient science andtechnology in China, as well as a golden age for traditional porcelaincraftsmanship. Song Dynasty porcelain epitomized the aesthetic pursuit ofnatural charm. During this time, the porcelain industry thrived, with renownedkilns emerging across the land. To date, ancient ceramic sites have been foundin 170 counties nationwide, among which 130 counties contain Northern Song kilnsites, accounting for approximately 75% of the total. The elegance of SongDynasty porcelain is renowned far and wide.

The beauty of Song Dynasty porcelain liesin its warmth, restraint, and emphasis on inner perception. Its understatedelegance and unique charm have captivated people around the world.

The "Five Great Kilns" representthe highest achievement of Chinese monochromatic glazed porcelain, coveted bymuseums and collectors worldwide, with their market value beyond doubt. Passeddown from the Northern Song Dynasty, surviving pieces from the "Five GreatKilns" are extremely rare, mainly housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing,the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and institutions like the British Museum,the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Musée Guimet.Museums take pride in their collections of "Five Great Kilns"porcelain, and in the industry, a museum’s prestige isoften judged by the quantity and quality of such pieces in its collection.

Speaking of Song Dynasty porcelain, one isreminded of Song poetry, with which it shares a similar phonetic tone. Songporcelain resembles the graceful school of Song poetry—elegantand understated. Although each kiln of Song porcelain had its own distinctivestyle, they all excelled in monochromatic glazes, boasting unparalleled eleganthues. Whether in proportion, scale, color, or shape, Song porcelain exudes a 含蓄 and refined inner beauty. Any slight modification to its form wouldseem to mar its perfection; this precise balance gives it a delicate, gentlecharm.

Song Dynasty porcelain was predominantlycyan and white. Cyan-glazed porcelain resembled jadeite, "as exquisite ascast gold, as refined as carved jade." White-glazed porcelain shone likepolished jade, "possessing jade’s texture and snow’s whiteness." Song porcelain is often held in higher regardthan Ming or Qing porcelain, largely because it embraces naturalness,restraint, and simplicity, focusing on the porcelain’sbody, form, and glaze. With minimal decoration, it pursues natural perfectionin shape, glaze, and 纹饰. Its surface is delicate andsmooth, yet fragile, requiring care akin to tending a child. Compared tocolored pottery, it lacks vivid hues but, in its simplicity, leaves ample roomfor imagination. It is elegant and serene, like "a lotus emerging fromclear water, unadorned by artificiality"—trulyembodying the achievements of its predecessors and setting a timeless standardfor posterity.

Song Dynasty porcelain saw innovative anddiverse glaze colors. During this period, not only was the formula for limeglaze improved, but lime-alkali glaze—capable offorming thick 釉 layers—was alsoinvented. The shadowy blue porcelain of Jingdezhen Kiln, the celadon of RuKiln, and the plum-green celadon of Longquan Kiln elevated porcelain to a realm"as icy and jade-like." Additionally, Jun Kiln’s opalescent glaze, Ge Kiln’s rice-yellowglaze, Ding Kiln’s purple, green, and red glazes, andJian Kiln’s opaque black glaze expanded the palette ofglazes unprecedentedly.

Song Dynasty porcelain featured numerousinnovative shapes. Take vases, for example—new formsincluded the yuhu chun (jade pot spring) vase, plum vase, lobed-mouth vase,gourd vase, double-eared vase, five-hole vase, melon-ridged vase,gallbladder-shaped vase, and cong (jade tube)-shaped vase, dazzling the eyewith variety.

The decorative techniques of Song porcelainfar surpassed those of the Tang Dynasty. In addition to glaze color, techniqueslike stamping, carving, incising, scraping, painting, and paper-cut stencilingwere widely used, enriching the range of 纹饰.

In terms of body and glaze, Song porcelainfrom northern kilns typically had gray or light gray bodies, while their glazesvaried dramatically. For instance, Jun Kiln’s glaze,likened to begonia red and rose purple, shimmered like sunset clouds, withever-changing patterns flowing like clouds and water. Ru Kiln’s glaze was 含蓄 and lustrous, piling up likecongealed fat. Cizhou Kiln produced magical crystalline glazes resembling oilspots, partridge feathers, and tortoiseshell. Southern kilns mostly had whiteor light gray bodies: Jingdezhen Kiln’s blue-whiteporcelain was as jade-like and clear as lake water; Longquan Kiln’s celadon glowed vivid green like plums. Ge Kiln’s celadon glaze featured crackles, forming a web-like pattern—an exquisite example of "flaw beauty." Ding Kiln’s porcelain astonished with its neat, precise stamped patterns;Yaozhou Kiln’s sharp, free-spirited carved designsexuded a flowing rhythm. By pursuing the beauty of glaze color and texture, theSong people reached a new aesthetic height in porcelain craftsmanship.

Song porcelain was divided into imperialkilns (guan yao) and folk kilns (min yao), with regional distinctions betweennorthern and southern styles. Imperial kilns were government-run, producingporcelain exclusively for the imperial palace and royal family; folk kilns wereprivately operated, manufacturing porcelain for daily use. Imperial kilnsincluded imperial 御用 kilns (yu yao), such as the oneestablished by Emperor Huizong of Song. After the Northern Song fell, the Songroyal family relocated to Lin’an (modern Hangzhou) andbuilt an imperial kiln at the foot of Phoenix Mountain.

Before the Northern Song, official tributeporcelain and folk utensils differed only in refinement, not in culturalsophistication. This changed dramatically in the Northern Song: one branchdeveloped toward elegance and luxury, the other toward ruggedness and boldness,forming distinct styles. Take the "Five Great Kilns"—initially ordinary kilns producing folk porcelain, they rose toprominence after being commissioned to make tribute porcelain for the royalfamily, their craftsmanship surpassing that of local folk kilns. Jun porcelainis a prime example: originally a common folk kiln in Henan, it caught EmperorHuizong’s eye, prompting him to order the establishmentof an imperial kiln in Yuzhou, Henan, and assemble skilled craftsmen from folkkilns to produce such glazed ware exclusively for the court.

Imperial kilns strictly followed royalspecifications, sparing no expense in pursuit of perfection—"selecting ten from a thousand, one from a hundred." Evenafter firing, pieces were scrutinized, and the final products, non-commercialin nature, were forbidden for civilian use. Their production techniques wereclosely guarded secrets, resulting in exquisite craftsmanship; surviving piecesare mostly rare treasures. Folk kilns, by contrast, operated withoutconstraints. Their craftsmen, drawn from the people, prioritized cost andpracticality, using simpler materials and working freely. Their products serveddaily needs—though sometimes crude, they are artworkswith unique charm. Across the Song Dynasty ceramic landscape, folk kilnsflourished, complementing imperial kilns in a splendid spectacle.

The development of Northern Song porcelainis also linked to a key figure: Emperor Huizong of Song, who founded three ofthe "Five Great Kilns."

Emperor Huizong was passionate about artand beauty, fascinated by color and natural artistic conception. Dissatisfiedwith the common Ding and Chai kiln porcelain in the palace, he set out tocollect treasures and techniques from across the land, establishing an imperialkiln in the capital, Dongjing. Later, delighted by the tribute porcelain fromRuzhou, he built a kiln within the palace. Porcelain from the original site wascalled Ru Kiln, while the palace kiln was known as Ru Guan Kiln (Ru imperial kiln);some scholars argue that Ru Guan Kiln was synonymous with the imperial kiln.

Jun Kiln had both imperial and folkbranches. Imperial Jun Kiln was established after Ru Kiln during EmperorHuizong’s reign. Widely distributed in Yuxian County,Henan (then called Junzhou), it derived its name from the region, with theBagua Cave Kiln and Juntai Kiln in the county seat being the most famous,producing various porcelain for the royal family. At the time, Yuzhou producedcolored porcelain with vibrant hues and "kiln transformation" flamepatterns—pieces entered the kiln one color but emergedin a riot of colors, with no two identical. Pleased, Emperor Huizong had animperial Jun Kiln built in the palace, mimicking Yuzhou’s colored porcelain. Hence the saying: "Ten thousand taels ofgold are no match for a piece of imperial Jun porcelain."