Yingtian Kiln Site

Yingtian Kiln Site

Yingtian Kiln Site

An ancient kiln site from the Song Dynasty. It is distributed across fruit orchards in Zhumuchong, Tuishanzui, Huayuan Farm, First Sub-farm of the Qu Yuan Farm in Miluo City, situated on the eastern shore of Dongting Lake. In May 1982, the provincial museum and archaeologists from the Yueyang region jointly conducted a survey and discovered two mantou-style kilns and two dragon kilns. The kiln site covers a deposit area of approximately one square kilometer. The main types of porcelain products include bowls, cups, plates, basins, grinding bowls, pots, bottles, jars, four-handled jars, jars, round-bottomed stoves, and three-legged stoves. The body color is mainly light gray, with the surface of the body walls often appearing light ochre. The glaze colors include pale blue, soy sauce blue, brownish soy sauce, or pitch black. The decorative techniques mainly consist of enamel painted designs, underglaze enamel painting, stamp printing, monochrome, and plain-body enamel painting. Underglaze enamel painting is the main characteristic of the Yingtian Kiln, where white enamel pigment is directly applied to dark-bodied pottery to paint floral patterns and borders. A transparent pale blue glaze is then applied over the top, making it a type of “flowered porcelain” among ceramic wares. The decorative patterns mainly feature lotus flowers and peonies, as well as some geometric designs. Its dating is close to that of the Hengshan Kiln but slightly earlier, roughly corresponding to the period between the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, with its latest phase nearing the Yuan Dynasty.

Source: "Huxiang Culture Dictionary"