HouTouGou Kiln Site

HouTouGou Kiln Site

The HouTouGou Kiln Site is located in Gangwa Kiln Village, HouTouGou Township, approximately 45 kilometers southwest of Chifeng City. The site lies within a hilly mountainous area featuring a narrow, gently sloping stretch in the middle, with a seasonal river flowing from west to east at the foot of the mountains. The kiln site extends from the northern bank of the river bend to the southern slope of ShuiQuanGou Village. The area has underground coal resources and abundant high-quality porcelain clay, along with a relatively high water table, providing favorable natural conditions for porcelain production.

Kiln remains are densely distributed in the eastern and southern parts of the village. The site stretches about one kilometer from east to west and 200–300 meters from north to south. The cultural layer accumulation reaches a thickness of 1–3 meters. The surface is scattered with an abundance of porcelain shards and kiln tools. Based on collected samples, the Gangwa Kiln primarily produced coarse white porcelain, followed by thick-bodied stoneware, and a small amount of fine porcelain.

The vessel shapes mainly include bowls, plates, dishes, pots, and ewers, as well as bottles, jars, cups, boxes, basins, and toys.

Glaze colors are predominantly white, along with tri-color glaze, yellow glaze, green glaze, tea-green glaze, dark brown glaze, dark brownish-red glaze, red glaze, and iron rust decoration. Decorative patterns often consist of motifs such as scrolling vines, peonies, lotus flowers, plum blossoms, water waves, birds, beasts, insects, and fish, with a small number of items bearing inscribed text. Decoration techniques include mold printing, powder cutting, carving, and incising.

Kiln tools mainly include saggars, supporting stands, and mold stamps.

There are two types of kiln chambers: one horseshoe-shaped and the other rectangular (also called dragon kiln). Both are constructed using refractory bricks, or a combination of inner refractory bricks with outer bricks or stones.

The HouTouGou Gangwa Kiln was in use for an extended period, from the early Liao Dynasty all the way to the Yuan Dynasty. It holds significant importance for the study of ceramic development during the Five Dynasties, Liao, and Song periods, as well as for understanding the craftsmanship and evolution of both official and civilian kiln porcelain during the Liao Dynasty.