Sòngkǒu Kiln Site

Sòngkǒu Kiln Site

The Sòngkǒu Kiln Site is a cultural heritage site protected by Huangshan City.

The Sòngkǒu Kiln Site is located outside Sòngkǒu Village in Shèxī County, bordered by the Yángzhī River to the east and the Shuāngsǒng River to the north. The kiln remains are situated on a small hill at the confluence of the two rivers. It primarily produced celadon ware, with body colors ranging from jet black to deep blue. The main products were bowls, cups, and plates, along with some teapots and shot glasses. The glaze was mostly bluish-gray, varying in shade, with some pieces featuring crackled patterns. Early glazes exhibited a soy sauce-like hue. Some pieces had glaze covering the entire body, while others did not reach the foot ring. Bowls and cups were often stacked right side up, nesting smaller ones inside larger ones, with as many as a dozen stacked together and separated by spacers. These spacers ranged from four to thirteen in number. Each stack used one sagger, though some individual pieces were fired in their own saggers. Vessel shapes were diverse and sizes varied. Bowl openings ranged from as small as 14 cm to as large as 19.5 cm in diameter; some bowls featured thick lips or five-petal sunflower rims, with bases shaped as spherical or flat. Dish openings typically measured 11–15 cm in diameter and stood 3.5–4 cm high, with flat bottoms and either single or double-folded walls. In addition to saggers, kiln furniture included support pillars, pedestals, and kiln bricks. This kiln was a dragon kiln, believed to have been active from the late Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty, flourishing especially during the Five Dynasties period. Later products had thinner walls and more even glazing, appearing bright and crystal-clear, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. The site was discovered in March 1985, and later investigated and appraised by officials from the Anhui Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics and the Provincial Institute of Archaeology. It is now a key cultural relic protection unit of Shèxī County.