Ancient Jizhou Porcelain

Ancient Jizhou Porcelain

　　Ancient Jizhou porcelain, first produced in the late Tang Dynasty, has long been cherished and admired for its unique products by people both at home and abroad. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Jizhou ceramics were exported as commodities to foreign countries. Ancient porcelain pieces such as the "paper-cut decal plate," "phoenix-head white porcelain vase," and "leaf-embedded Tenmoku bowl" have been hailed as national treasures, masterpieces of porcelain, and rare treasures by Japan, the British Museum, and the National Central Museum of South Korea, respectively, and are treasured in their collections.

Ancient Jizhou porcelain is a famous product of the ancient Jizhou Kiln. The kiln site is located west of Yonghe Town in Ji’an County. According to current excavations, there are over 100 types of ancient porcelain products, primarily including daily-use items such as bowls and cups, along with exquisitely crafted artworks like birds, beasts, insects, fish, cups, tubes, bottles, and jars that stand out for their exceptional craftsmanship. In terms of glaze colors, there are black glaze, white glaze, celadon glaze, green glaze, painted designs, and colored glaze; in terms of decorative techniques, there are printing, carving, decal application, and splashed glaze sculpting. These porcelains are refined and rustic, uniquely creative, and rich in the charm of the Jiangnan region. Particularly rare is the "leaf-embedded Tenmoku bowl," made by embedding a leaf in a black-glazed bowl and firing it using special methods like "kiln transformation." When tea is poured into it, the leaf appears light green with visible veins, full of vitality, making it a true gem in the art of Chinese ceramics.

To fully explore the valuable cultural heritage of Jizhou porcelain, Ji’an County established the "Jizhou Ancient Ceramics Research Institute" in 1982 and rebuilt the Jizhou Ceramics Factory. After its establishment, the factory produced antique-style porcelain such as the "leaf-embedded Tenmoku bowl," which passed national-level appraisal in 1985. The products were sent to the Asia-Pacific Expo, gaining fame both domestically and internationally. Two research papers based on this achievement also shocked the global ceramics and archaeology communities. Currently, the factory produces a variety of antique-style products, which have successively entered countries and regions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Hungary, France, Czechoslovakia, Japan, Austria, and Hong Kong. Building on this foundation, in 1986, the factory developed a new type of colored glaze architectural ceramic product. After physicochemical testing by the Ceramic Research Institute of the Ministry of Light Industry, all indicators met the standards, thus filling a gap in the province’s production.