Appreciation of the Tianqing Ru Kiln of the Northern Song Dynasty, the pinnacle of porcelain

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? Sky blue is the color that Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty saw in his dream. He left behind the poem "After the rain, the blue sky breaks the virginity, this color will be the future", so he ordered the craftsmen to burn the color he wanted. The color is required to produce porcelain with a texture close to that of jade. Fortunately, Ruzhou has been rich in agate stone since ancient times, which provided a glaze foundation for the firing of jade-textured porcelain. In the early Song Dynasty, the north was still the porcelain making center with advanced production technology. and excellent porcelain craftsmen. The right time, place, people, and good karma have made Tianqing Ru Kiln famous all over the world. There are many kilns in all directions of Ruzhou, forming a prosperous scene of "hundred miles of landscape on both sides of the Ru River, with fires everywhere".

There is a saying in the collecting community that "even if you have a huge fortune, it is not as good as a Ru kiln." The scarcity of Ru kiln porcelain in the Northern Song Dynasty is not only caused by contemporary times. Zhou Hui, a native of the Southern Song Dynasty, said in his book "Qingbo Magazine": "It is forbidden to burn in the Ru Kiln Palace. There is agate powder inside as glaze. It is only for the emperor to sort out and sell it. It is especially rare in the near future." This shows that you are very rare. The preciousness of kiln porcelain.

Sky blue color. Legend of Ru kiln

The reputation of "the first celadon, Ru kiln is the leader" comes from its beautiful shape, exquisite workmanship, and elegant glaze color. There are many categories, and it has been found that the handed down categories can be roughly divided into: plate-mouth vases, jade pot spring vases, small-mouth plum vases, goose-neck vases, statues, stoves, boxes, bowls, basins, bowls, bowls, pen washers, and water bottles. Notes, lamps, plates, lamp holders, aromatherapy, boxes and animal sculptures, etc.

The glaze color of Ru kiln is mainly cyan, including sky blue, egg green, pink green, green, bean green, light sky green, green green, cowpea green, moon white and sky blue, etc. The most beautiful glaze color of Ru kiln It is a light azure color that is bluish in color, pure and warm. The glaze is as green as fat and as moist as jade. The glaze surface shows a soft and subtle luster like ancient jade. The glaze of Ru kiln often has fine ice cracks, mostly scattered and extremely fine grains, commonly known as "crab claw grains". Ru kiln pays attention to the elegance of glaze color and open pattern, and there are not many carvings and decorations. Some objects are only slightly decorated with one or a few string patterns, which is simple and refreshing. Ru kiln porcelain bodies are mainly gray-white, with different shades, similar to burned incense ash, commonly known as "incense ash body". Its connotation is rich, its artistic conception is profound, and its collection of artistic essence is unmatched by other kilns. Ru kiln has its own system.

The prototype of the Ru kiln paper mallet bottle can be traced back to the glass craftsmanship of Iran and Egypt in the ninth to tenth centuries. It is a glass work that was popular between the ninth and twelfth centuries. Because the vase has a long neck and oblique shoulders like a mallet, Western scholars called it a "mallet vase" because of its shape in the 20th century. The elegant and simple shape of the paper mallet bottle is relatively common among Ru kiln wares. The overall shape of the vessel is regular and tough, with excessively rounded edges. The combination of hardness and softness shows the beauty of strength and stretch. It is speculated that the paper mallet bottle may be the shape of the bottle used by Xiagong to hold rose water. Its main function is for appreciation and decoration, so it is especially exquisite. Two of them are now in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. This shape has gradually evolved with development. According to the excavated kiln sites, this type of paper mallet vase is more common in Zhanggongxiang kiln and rare in Qingliangsi kiln.

The picture above is a Ru kiln paper mallet vase from the Song Dynasty. It is collected by a collection family in Hunan. Professor Li’s ancestor was a high-ranking minister in the Qing Dynasty. Because the collector kept a low profile, his family status It is not appropriate for us to introduce too much. This bottle is 22cm high and has a base diameter of 9cm. It is glazed with agate and has obvious agate crystals. The glaze is smooth and clear, with a strong glass texture. There are traces of soil Qin in some parts. The soil Qin is in the inner layer of the oxide layer. This molecular movement phenomenon requires It takes a very long time of contact with the soil to form. Under a magnifying glass, there are scattered bubbles scattered under the glaze, which look like morning stars to the naked eye. The bubbles under the glaze of Ru kiln are one of the typical features of Ru kiln. According to experts' microscopic observation of the handed down products in the collection, the bubbles are in the form of concentric circles, which is indistinguishable from this product. The bottom surface is slightly sunken inward, and there are three sesame-sized nail marks around it, with obvious traces of soil. The nails were used to support the bottom of the glaze-filled porcelain. After firing, the support nails were knocked off, leaving only the bottom of the vessel. The branch-firing method that leaves small traces of branch-burning can maximize the glaze on the surface of the object and ensure the beauty of the object.

This Ru kiln paper mallet vase is extremely beautiful and dazzling. Its glaze color is similar to that of the long-necked vase in the famous collection of David David Foundation. The imperial Ru glaze has various colors, including light duck egg blue and bluish sky blue like this collection. Its elegant and elegant beauty makes you forget the vulgarity. It has been unanimously certified by many authoritative experts that this vessel meets the requirements. The characteristics of the Ru kiln in the dynasty are solid and steady. The smoke from the firewood penetrates into the glaze surface. It cannot be imitated. It is the Qingliangsi style of the Song Dynasty. It belongs to the late Northern Song Dynasty. The porcelain is perfect and perfect. It must be the model of Ru official porcelain and has a high reputation. Collection value, economic value, historical academic research value.

? The rarity of Ru kilns in the Northern Song Dynasty is not unrelated to the short firing time, which was only about 20 years. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Ru kiln was already "nearly rare" and very rare. Ru kiln culture is an important part of Song Dynasty culture. It is unique in its exquisite craftsmanship, beautiful shape, moist glaze, elegant and pure charm. It is an important symbol of an epoch-making era in the development of celadon in my country. Mr. Li Kuchan, a master of modern art, once said: Without you, the museums in the world cannot be called perfect. This shows that your porcelain has an extraordinary status among ancient ceramics.

? Throughout the ages, Ru kiln in the Northern Song Dynasty has been famous all over the world, and it is still prosperous to this day. Collectors admire its inherent beauty and cherish it for a price, so they all regard it as the ultimate collection goal.

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