Longquan Сeladon

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Porcelain is the biggest of China’s contribution to world civilization and culture. It’s a unique phenomenon of traditional Eastern decorative art.

 Dishware made of Chinese porcelain is both elegant and lightweight. Nearly always it is a work of art that glows with the elusive light of eternity.

 

Longquan Green Porcelain is one of the most famous traditional porcelain genres in China. The secret of its production is that the porcelain is coated with green glaze right before firing.

 

The history of Longquan Сeladon

The famous Longquan kilns in the Chinese province of Zhejiang started to produce the original products in the early 11th century. However, the Longquan pottery had reached the peak of its achievement in the 13th century, during the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. By this time, the most remarkable discoveries had been made in the workshops, making porcelain from Longquan famous beyond the borders of China. Longquan green porcelain is still produced by modern masters.

It’s no secret that of all the precious stones jade is the one the Chinese admire most. In ancient China, especially during the Song Dynasty, potters sought to discover a jade-like glazing color, which would resemble the color of the green treasure. The pottery “Dragon Spring” in the era of the Southern Song Dynasty learned to produce green glazed vessels. Production techniques of ancient green porcelain reached its peak during this period. “Longquan” or “Dragon Spring” is the name that the pottery received thanks to the like-named county in Zhejiang Province, where it was located.

 

The Longquan porcelain features

The Longquan porcelain features multiple layers of glaze in order to enhance the similarity with jade. The most appealing colors of glaze were powdery green or glaucous (fenqing, 粉 青) and plum green (meiziqing, 梅子青). Powdery green was less transparent and had an elegant delicate sheen. The plum green glaze fired at high temperatures resembled green jade because of its transparency and purity of color. This glaze was also compared with green plums shining after the rain.

The Longquan potters have never ceased to amaze with their artistic skills. They are constantly improving the firing techniques, maintaining standards of the highest quality and turning their ware into work of art.

The products made of green porcelain are superb in their quality. They are thin and smooth, with straight and elegant lines, moderate and simple shapes, and clear and patterned colors. There is a saying about green porcelain: “It is green, like a jade, bright, like a mirror and clear, like a copper gong”.

Among all other types of porcelain, the emerald-like products from Longquan are like jewels, they are rare to find and very valuable.

 

Introduction to Europe

Throughout history, Green Porcelain has been always in demand in both China and the world. Since the era of the Song Dynasty, the green porcelain has been exported by land and sea to many countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) the price of green porcelain exported to Europe was the same as gold, and it was not affordable to ordinary people. King of Saxony Augustus II had a strong passion for green porcelain from the Longquan county and spent a great part of his fortune to buy it up. With time His Majesty even built a whole castle to store his emerald collection. The green porcelain from China was called by the Europeans “celadon”.

At the present time, practically all famous historical museums showcase pieces of celadon from the “Dragon Spring” county (Longquan county). Much admired by collectors and art connoisseurs in the world the Longquan porcelain is a hard collectible to find.

 

UNESCO: Cultural Heritage of Humanity

In 2006, the traditional firing technology of Longquan celadon was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. And in October 2009, at the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, the traditional technology of firing Longquan celadon was enlisted into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is the only type of ceramic art in the world to be included in such an honorary list. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-firing-technology-of-longquan-celadon-00205



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