Longquan Celadon

By SONG XIAOYAN

THERE is a saying about the history of Chinese porcelain. It goes that half of the history of Chinese porcelain is about the porcelain wares produced in Zhejiang Province， and half of the history of the Zhejiang porcelain is about the celadon wares produced in Longquan City. Longquan celadon， a type of greenish or grayish blue ceramic， is exceptionally amazing with its enchanting glazing color and exquisite craftsmanship， having enamored collectors for thousands of years.

The Longquan kiln is one of the six famous kiln clusters of the Song Dynasty （960-1279）. It was named so because the famous celadon wares are produced in the Longquan City of Zhejiang Province. The Longquan celadon first appeared during the Three Kingdoms （220-280） and Jin Dynasty （265-420）， and achieved its zenith in the middle and later period of Southern Song Dynasty （1127-1279）. Its craftsmanship has aggregated the achievements of traditional Chinese porcelain making. Its elegant styles and glazing color make it a paradigm of the Song ceramic wares.

The most striking feature of the Longquan celadon is its greenish or grayish blue glaze， which resembles the quality of jade. The body of Longquan celadon is rough and heavy， and the wall is relatively thick. The glaze is relatively thin， in a range of colors， such as plum green， pink blue， pea green， and crab-shell blue. Generations of Longquan celadon makers spared no effort to make the glaze as perfect as jade. Many celadon wares produced in famous kilns have been lauded by famous scholars and men of letters. However， only the Longquan celadon wares with plum green and pink blue glaze can be compared with the quality of jade. They both feature thick and opaque glaze， which give a lustrous and gentle effect.

The Longquan celadon features multiple layers of glaze， which means the potters re-glaze the ware body for at least over 10 rounds， to make the glaze thick， which is even thicker than that of the body to create the jade-like gloss. Sometimes， the potters intentionally make some relief ridges on the body， so the glaze on the ridges will be thinner， forming a blue-vein-like line as a decoration. Also the bottom of the Longquan celadon appears the color of reddish brown due to the secondary oxidation in the firing process.

Although the Longquan celadon bears multiple layers of glaze， its glaze doesnt appear heavy and indistinct， but as clear as the surface of a lake. The glaze materials which contain iron， and local special clay which is used for making the body and firewood which is used for firing， combine to give the Longquan celadon its unique charm.

Besides the jade-like glazing color， the Longquan celadon also features exquisite decorations. The Longquan celadon include wares such as bowls， plates， basins， saucers， cups， pots， tins， tea sets， watering cans， brush pots， and vases. Most celadon wares feature a heavy and compact body， on which there are incised decorations of various patterns. In addition， the potters make crazing patterns themselves， adding brilliance to the warespresent splendor. As a type of very fine porcelain in the Chinese porcelain history， the Longquan celadon has been adored by porcelain lovers around the world. The craftsmanship of making Longquan celadon has been passed down through generations. Why are people so obsessed with the Longquan celadon？ The reason is closely related to the Chinese peoples aesthetic preferences and the traditional Chinese culture. The color of the glaze resembles that of jade. In ancient China， people often use jade as a metaphor for good virtues. The glaze of Longquan celadon symbolizes good virtues that the Chinese people have been cherishing and pursuing， and its color is low-profile， with a jade-like gloss， corresponding to most Chinese peoples character — most Chinese are introverted.

The Longquan celadon has been popular in both China and the world. Today， the Longquan celadon wares are often seen in famous museums around the world. Actually there is a story about its English name as celadon. LAstrée， a novel by French writer Honoré dUrfé， was adapted for theater， which turned out to be a great hit. Celadon， the hero in the play， wore a beautiful blue cloak， which became fashionable at that time in Paris. During the same period， the Longquan porcelain was quite popular among upper classes in France. As the porcelains color looks similar to Celadons cloak， people name it as Longquan celadon， and the term has been widely adopted around Europe.

Due to the increasing popularity of the Longquan celadon， kilns for making Longquan celadon wares were also established in Jiangxi and Fujian provinces， forming a large Longquan kiln cluster. As representative works of Chinese porcelain， the Longquan celadon wares have been exhibited around the world， allowing people outside China to appreciate the exquisite artwork of the ancient Chinese civilization. In modern days， the Longquan celadon， with its jade-like beauty and delicate craftsmanship， enriches the treasury of arts of the world.