Xicun Kiln

Xicun Kiln

The Xicun Kiln is located on the hillside along the eastern bank of Zengbu River in Xicun, Guangzhou. It dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty and was discovered in 1952. Huangdi Gang is the main surviving site of the Xicun Kiln. The mound of pottery debris is about 7 meters high. A dragon kiln was found there, with a remaining length of 36.8 meters. Its arched roof has been destroyed, and the widest part of the kiln body is 4 meters in the middle. The kiln is slightly narrower at both ends, with a sand-paved kiln bed and a slope of 13°. The front end of the kiln features a firebox and a fire door. The fired products were divided into two categories: coarse pottery and fine porcelain, with the former being the majority and the latter including bluish-white porcelain and shadowy blue porcelain. The glaze colors were mainly celadon, followed by black-brown glaze, with a small amount of low-temperature green glaze. The types of vessels included bowls, cups, saucers, basins, ewers, phoenix-head ewers, kundika (water vessels), jars, boxes, spittoons, pouring vessels, ewer-vases, lamps, incense burners, candlesticks, and pillows. There were also pottery figurines such as bird feeders, grinding wheels, funnels, xun (ancient wind instruments), as well as dogs and horses. Decorative techniques included incised patterns, molded designs, painted designs, spotted colors, and openwork. Some items imitated those from the Yaozhou Kiln, such as bowls, cups, saucers, and large basins with olive-green glaze and impressed round chrysanthemum or scrolling chrysanthemum patterns. Meanwhile, large bluish-white glazed basins featuring carved patterns on the rim and brownish-yellow glazed chrysanthemum or peony designs in the center were unique products of the Xicun Kiln. Porcelain produced at the Xicun Kiln has been unearthed or handed down in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, as well as in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. It was an important kiln site for producing export porcelain in the Lingnan region during that period.