China, Zhejiang province, Longquan kilns

China, Zhejiang province, Longquan kilns

中国浙江省龍泉窯

ceramicist

Longquan, or "Dragon Spring,' is the name of a valley in southwestern Zhejiang Province that has been the center of celadon production for centuries. The kilns first rose to prominence in the 11th century, after the Song court had moved from northern China to nearby Hangzhou, creating new demand. Making use of local clays for the body and glazes and richly forested hills to supply fuel for wood-fired kilns, Longquan celadons are prized for their thick, lustrous glazes. During the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) Longquan celadons were usually thrown on a wheel; surface decoration tended to be modest, either incised or appliqued. During the Yuan period (1279–1968), as competition emerged from the porcelain kilns at Jingdezhen, molded pieces become more common. In the Ming period (1368–1644), the tendency was for every more elaborate surface décor, another effort to compete with porcelain. From the 11th through 16th centuries, Longquan celadons were exported in vast quantities to markets that ranged from Korea and Japan in the northeast, insular and peninsular Southeast Asia, and the Islamic states on the Persian Gulf. Sometime in the late 9th or 10th century, the kilns at Longquan in Zhejiang Province in southeastern China perfected the use of reduction firing to create celadon glazes. These handsome green-glazed stonewares would dominate the market for ceramics throughout East and Southeast Asia until the 15th century. The very finest wares were for the Chinese market, especially during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), when the capital city of Hangzhou was nearby. The most highly prized colors were an icy-green or green with undertones of blue, for their resemblance to jade, but these were also the most difficult colors to achieve. An alternative color to aim for was an olive-brown, which resulted from more oxygen in the kiln. These three plates nicely represent the range of colors in Longquan celadon. [Maribeth Graybill, CCM, 2019-10-21]