Yixing Kiln Sites

Yixing Kiln Sites

The Yixing Kiln Sites are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Yixing Kiln Sites are located near Tangdu Village in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, on Junshan Mountain, and belong to a cluster of southern celadon kilns from the Wu and Jin periods.

The site covers an area of approximately 0.5 square kilometers. In 1959, Nanjing Arts Institute first discovered three kiln sites dating back to the Two Jin Dynasties. In 1975, Yixing Ceramics Company discovered another three kiln sites from the Wu to the Two Jin Dynasties. In 1982, new discoveries were made.

At the Junshan Kiln Sites, remnants of kiln mounds were found, with diameters of about 20 meters and heights of 4 meters. Some of the ruined kilns were built with bricks, and stone slabs were placed on the kiln walls. Excavated kiln tools include kiln pads, pads, supports, as well as cylindrical, bowl-shaped, tooth-shaped, and nail-shaped tools. Some of the supports bear inscriptions such as “...made on the 22nd year.” Fragments of daily-use vessels were also unearthed, including basins, washbasins, bowls, pot-mouth ewers, and double-handled jars. Decorative patterns feature string patterns, net patterns, feather-like motifs, linked pearl designs, and taotie motifs. The glaze color is light green with a slight yellow tint, also referred to as crab-shell green, while the body color is yellowish-white. Based on glaze analysis, these were fired in a reducing flame atmosphere. This type of celadon has a fine and solid body, with a water absorption rate of 3–6% and a porosity of 7–8%. The firing temperature ranged between 1160–1260°C. It is speculated that the celadon unearthed from the Western Jin Dynasty Zhou family tombs in Yixing, which bears similarities, may very well be products of the Yixing Junshan Kiln.

This group of kilns is one of the important production sites of early southern celadon in China and provides significant material for studying the development of Chinese ceramics and ancient ceramic craftsmanship in Jiangsu Province. In 2006, the Yixing Kiln Sites, as ancient sites from the Jin to the Qing Dynasties, were included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units