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Imperial and perfect - the treasures of a bygone age remain
By Pan Zheng |
April 22, 2009, Wednesday
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THE Southern Song Dynasty only lasted for 152 years, but the Guan Kiln in Hangzhou and its beautiful porcelain works of art never really disappeared. Pan Zheng uncovers the treasures
Hangzhou has always been an important city in southeast China. The Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) emperor established a county government in Hangzhou, and in the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) it became a city.
But the peak period for Hangzhou was in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), when Hangzhou, originally called Lin'an, became the capital of the nation.
When the government had most of China under control, it followed the old ceremonial and ritual systems of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Because of the elaborate formalities, the Southern Song court needed more and more porcelain for daily use and as ornaments.
To meet this demand, the Southern Song court reestablished the Guan Kiln (Guan means official; Guan Kiln is the official kiln producing high-class chinaware for royalty) in Hangzhou. The Southern Song Dynasty only lasted for 152 years, but the kiln and its ceramics never really disappeared. Now, these treasures are on display at the Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln Museum.
The museum is located in the south-east of Yuhuang Hill, and covers 15,000 square meters. It was built on the former site of Guan Kiln of the Southern Song Dynasty and opened in 1992. Now there are three exhibition halls, illustrating that short but splendid time for Hangzhou.
When visitors step into the museum, the first hall in sight is the Celadon Hall. Celadon is the origin of Chinese porcelain. Around 200 BC, celadon had been fired at Shangyu, Zhejiang. It marked the move from pottery to porcelain and from then Zhejiang Province became known as the homeland of celadon. The hall displays various celadon wares and illustrates the history of this imperial art.
Compared with the nongovernmental kilns, Imperial Kiln wares were designed and made from the desires and inspiration of the imperial court. The cost of production was never taken into consideration. The products were meticulously made and were truly artistic. Once the porcelain had been made, court officers checked them very carefully. If any flaws were detected, they would immediately shatter the pieces into fragments, never tolerating any imperfection.
The Guan Kiln ware is justifiably famous for its patterns and quality. The web-like crackle glaze of the Guan Kiln wares is one of the unique aspects of this style. The fine crackles on the porcelain occur on the porcelain itself in the heating process when it expands more than the applied coloring.
Usually it is a defect in production. However, the Guan Kiln craftsmen used this creatively and adapted it as a signature for their work. The crackles with greenish blue colors and shiny glazing make some of the Guan Kiln wares look like beautiful jade. And imitating the natural quality of jade was what the Guan Kiln artisans wanted to achieve. All the Guan Kiln wares had characteristics of jade, the symbol of wisdom and virtue and admired since ancient times.
Next to the Celadon Hall stands the Chinese Ceramic Culture Exhibition Hall. The history of Chinese ceramics is "long-standing and never-ending." However, archeological investigations show that the development of Chinese ceramics is non-linear - it expanded both geographically and intensively. The evolution of ceramics is like a tree, with clay and rock as its body and branches and nutrition coming from practical functions, traditional skills and aesthetic trends. Nowadays, with ceramics widely used as new materials in high-tech areas, this 10,000-year-old "tree" is still full of life and energy.
As well as the displays of colorful ceramic wares, a highlight in this hall is the do-it-yourself section. There is a ceramic art center in the hall where visitors can practice making their own porcelain pieces after watching skilled artisans at work.
After viewing some of the beautiful and historic porcelain works of art, visitors get great pleasure in making their own pieces with their own hands.
The third hall, which is actually on the site of the Guan Kiln, lies in the innermost part of the museum. From 1985 to 1986, the archeological excavations of the kiln site at Jiaotanxia unveiled the Southern Song Guan Kiln, and unearthed thousands of porcelain fragments and kiln tools. The whole site covers more than 1,500 square meters and includes a workshop and a dragon kiln. Part of the workshop has been restored in the museum. This magnificent site has brought to life again the history of the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Address: 60 Nanfu Rd, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou
Open hours: 8:30am-4:30pm, closed on Mondays
Admission: Free
Tel: (0571) 8608-3990
Hangzhou has always been an important city in southeast China. The Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) emperor established a county government in Hangzhou, and in the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) it became a city.
But the peak period for Hangzhou was in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), when Hangzhou, originally called Lin'an, became the capital of the nation.
When the government had most of China under control, it followed the old ceremonial and ritual systems of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Because of the elaborate formalities, the Southern Song court needed more and more porcelain for daily use and as ornaments.
To meet this demand, the Southern Song court reestablished the Guan Kiln (Guan means official; Guan Kiln is the official kiln producing high-class chinaware for royalty) in Hangzhou. The Southern Song Dynasty only lasted for 152 years, but the kiln and its ceramics never really disappeared. Now, these treasures are on display at the Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln Museum.
The museum is located in the south-east of Yuhuang Hill, and covers 15,000 square meters. It was built on the former site of Guan Kiln of the Southern Song Dynasty and opened in 1992. Now there are three exhibition halls, illustrating that short but splendid time for Hangzhou.
When visitors step into the museum, the first hall in sight is the Celadon Hall. Celadon is the origin of Chinese porcelain. Around 200 BC, celadon had been fired at Shangyu, Zhejiang. It marked the move from pottery to porcelain and from then Zhejiang Province became known as the homeland of celadon. The hall displays various celadon wares and illustrates the history of this imperial art.
Compared with the nongovernmental kilns, Imperial Kiln wares were designed and made from the desires and inspiration of the imperial court. The cost of production was never taken into consideration. The products were meticulously made and were truly artistic. Once the porcelain had been made, court officers checked them very carefully. If any flaws were detected, they would immediately shatter the pieces into fragments, never tolerating any imperfection.
The Guan Kiln ware is justifiably famous for its patterns and quality. The web-like crackle glaze of the Guan Kiln wares is one of the unique aspects of this style. The fine crackles on the porcelain occur on the porcelain itself in the heating process when it expands more than the applied coloring.
Usually it is a defect in production. However, the Guan Kiln craftsmen used this creatively and adapted it as a signature for their work. The crackles with greenish blue colors and shiny glazing make some of the Guan Kiln wares look like beautiful jade. And imitating the natural quality of jade was what the Guan Kiln artisans wanted to achieve. All the Guan Kiln wares had characteristics of jade, the symbol of wisdom and virtue and admired since ancient times.
Next to the Celadon Hall stands the Chinese Ceramic Culture Exhibition Hall. The history of Chinese ceramics is "long-standing and never-ending." However, archeological investigations show that the development of Chinese ceramics is non-linear - it expanded both geographically and intensively. The evolution of ceramics is like a tree, with clay and rock as its body and branches and nutrition coming from practical functions, traditional skills and aesthetic trends. Nowadays, with ceramics widely used as new materials in high-tech areas, this 10,000-year-old "tree" is still full of life and energy.
As well as the displays of colorful ceramic wares, a highlight in this hall is the do-it-yourself section. There is a ceramic art center in the hall where visitors can practice making their own porcelain pieces after watching skilled artisans at work.
After viewing some of the beautiful and historic porcelain works of art, visitors get great pleasure in making their own pieces with their own hands.
The third hall, which is actually on the site of the Guan Kiln, lies in the innermost part of the museum. From 1985 to 1986, the archeological excavations of the kiln site at Jiaotanxia unveiled the Southern Song Guan Kiln, and unearthed thousands of porcelain fragments and kiln tools. The whole site covers more than 1,500 square meters and includes a workshop and a dragon kiln. Part of the workshop has been restored in the museum. This magnificent site has brought to life again the history of the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Address: 60 Nanfu Rd, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou
Open hours: 8:30am-4:30pm, closed on Mondays
Admission: Free
Tel: (0571) 8608-3990
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