Discover Song Porcelain
2 min readDiscoveries regarding Song porcelain are among the most exciting Chinese archeological finds in recent years.Representing the peak of the ancient Chinese art，Southern Song porcelain excelled in both aesthetics and techniques.Especially well known was Southern Song celadon，also known as“green ware”，meaning porcelain glazed in a transparent jade green.Light green，gray，or yellow glazed plates，vases and other vessels with simple and elegant style-exquisite Southern Song ceramics were the empire’s major exports at the time via the maritime Silk Road to Southeast Asia，the Indian subcontinent，Persia，Europe，and as far as Africa.
Most recently，studies from a shipwreck dated to late Southern Song named Nanhai One，salvaged off the coast of Guangdong in 2007，revealed more than 60，000 pieces of porcelain as its main cargo.Though they never made it aboard，these pieces provided key insights into the ceramic industry and international trade at that time.Most interestingly，some of the wares were clearly designed for a foreign market，featuring Arabic and otherexotic styles，many of which had never been seen by Chinese porcelain experts before.All pieces were found to have been produced in private kilns in Fujian，Jiangxi，and Zhe jiang.
This lid，from an incense burner，is on display at the Southern Song Guan Kiln Museum At the Song capital，official porcelain production was at an even higher level，produced exclusively for the rich and powerful.References of two official kilns，or guan kilns，could be found in the historical records of Lin’an.The relatively newer Altar of Heaven Kiln is easier to identify，excavated as early as the 1950s and can be found today at the Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln Museum.Reminiscent of Southern Song architecture，the museum features an original kiln site，exhibition hall of uncovered ceramic treasures，and a traditional workshop display.Visitors can live history itself when they meet the master potters there today who replicate this ancient skill.
The older kiln，or Department of Palace Supply Kiln，is more mysterious.
For decades，no one was able to locate it despite relatively detailed historical records.Some even claim that it didn’t exist at all.It wasn’t until 1996 that a kiln located between the Phoenix and Jiuhua hills was excavated，known as the“Tiger Cave Kiln”.Here，archaeologists discovered shards of powdered blue and crackled glaze that were believed to have been made for the royal family and high officials；today these pieces can also be seen at the Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln Museum.
It’s not just archeologists who are interested.Modern collectors are obsessed with the Song kilns，tripping over one another for a chance to acquire wares from the five famous kilns.And while the guan kiln of the Northern Song has yet to be discovered，there’s plenty to see in Hangzhou for lovers of porcelain history.
