Imitation Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln

Imitation Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln

　　　Product Features: Thin body with thick glaze, purple rim and iron foot, and cracked glaze surface.

　　Product Description: The Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln was located at the foot of Phoenix Mountain in Hangzhou and exclusively produced porcelain for the imperial court of the Southern Song Dynasty. The celadon ware from the Southern Song Guan Kiln is characterized by its thin body with thick glaze, purple rim and iron foot, and cracked glaze surface. Its perfect form and glaze color reminiscent of “the sky after rain” offer a visual aesthetic. After traversing a long span of historical time, the Southern Song Guan Kiln stepped out of the imperial palace and was displayed in museum showcases. Porcelain enthusiasts, unwilling to see the decline of the Southern Song Guan Kiln, hoped that the former “swallows from the front courtyard” could also fly into ordinary homes. Thus, imitation Southern Song Guan Kiln porcelain came into being. The imitations have not lost any luster due to their replicated nature. On the contrary, they blend traditional craftsmanship with modern concepts and creativity, resulting in even more unique charm.

　　Product History: The Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln was located at the foot of Phoenix Mountain in Hangzhou and exclusively produced porcelain for the imperial court of the Southern Song Dynasty. The celadon ware from the Southern Song Guan Kiln is characterized by its thin body with thick glaze, purple rim and iron foot, and cracked glaze surface. Its perfect form and glaze color reminiscent of “the sky after rain” offer a visual aesthetic. After traversing a long span of historical time, the Southern Song Guan Kiln stepped out of the imperial palace and was displayed in museum showcases. Porcelain enthusiasts, unwilling to see the decline of the Southern Song Guan Kiln, hoped that the former “swallows from the front courtyard” could also fly into ordinary homes. Thus, imitation Southern Song Guan Kiln porcelain came into being. The imitations have not lost any luster due to their replicated nature. On the contrary, they blend traditional craftsmanship with modern concepts and creativity, resulting in even more unique charm.

　　The Southern Song Guan Kiln ranks first among China’s ancient five renowned kilns. Historical records indicate that when the Southern Song Dynasty established its capital in Lin’an (present-day Hangzhou), it built the Xiuneisi and Jiaotandixia kilns to produce exclusive imperial ceramics, hence the name "Southern Song Guan Kiln." After the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, the kilns were destroyed and the artisans scattered. Fewer than a hundred pieces of the surviving treasures are scattered around the world, each invaluable, earning the reputation as the “Pearl of Ceramics.” At a Christie’s auction, a Guan Kiln sunflower-shaped rinse dish with a diameter of just about 11 cm sold for as much as 22 million Hong Kong dollars.

　　In 1978, Hangzhou Minsheng Ceramics Co., Ltd. (formerly Hangzhou Porcelain Factory) successfully replicated the Southern Song Guan Kiln, and this production technique was awarded both the National Invention Award and the National Major Scientific and Technological Achievement Award. Its products reproduce the features of the Southern Song Guan Kiln such as “thin body with thick glaze, molded from refined clay, inwardly luminous glaze, varied crackle patterns, purple rim and iron foot, and an elegant, classic charm.” These have successively won the Silver Award at the First Beijing International Fair, the Provincial Premium Famous Special Golden Eagle Award, and the Gold Award for Outstanding Tourism Commodities in Hangzhou. They have also been designated multiple times as official gifts for foreign heads of state and international dignitaries.