On July 25th, at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, China's application for the "Jingdezhen Traditional Porcelain Making Sites" was approved and successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List. This is indeed a joyous occasion! đ Meanwhile, the renowned Longquan celadon, as the first ceramic World Intangible Cultural Heritage, boasts cultural and natural significance that transcends national borders, holding shared and vital value for all humanity, both contemporary and future generations.
(Pictured: "Zhu Yun Jian Hand-painted Bamboo Forest Landscape Floating Lid Bowl" produced in Jingdezhen)
Longquan celadon, which originated during the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties, reached its peak in the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, "smoke and fire could be seen from each other, and a thousand sails competed for success" along the Longquan River. Over 390 kiln sites dotted both banks of the Oujiang River, producing millions of ceramic pieces annually. From here, heading south through the South China Sea, passing through the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf region, and as far as East Africa and Europe... Longquan celadon was ubiquitous, serving as the most dazzling Chinese symbol on the Maritime Silk Road.
(Pictured: Song and Yuan Dynasty Longquan Kiln collections at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto)
Longquan celadon is one of the representatives of Chinese celadon art, becoming a vehicle for spreading advanced Chinese civilization to various parts of the world. It not only achieved substantial economic benefits but also brought immense glory to China. In France, Longquan celadon is highly regarded, considered a rare treasure in the world. So why can Longquan celadon transform clay into jade, creating that moist, jade-like texture?
"Lime-alkaline glaze": Song dynasty artisans added a large amount of alkaline metals to the glaze, making it highly viscous at high temperatures. This prevented the glaze from flowing, allowing for repeated glazing and laying the foundation for its moist texture.
Longquan celadon is fired at high temperatures (above approximately 1200â), resulting in a hard and dense body that is tightly integrated with the glaze layer. The "moist" appearance you see is essentially the result of diffuse reflection in physics. The thick glaze contains numerous tiny air bubbles and anorthite crystals, which act like miniature lenses, scattering strong light and transforming it into soft, rich diffuse reflections. This creates the visually soft, lustrous "heavy" and "rich" feel. Furthermore, controlling the reducing atmosphere during the firing process is also crucial, as the reduction of iron ions determines the resulting color:
â Powder Blue Celadon: Soft and elegant in color, like a clear sky reflected in water, moist and delicate.
â Plum Green Celadon: Rich and vibrant green, like the greenish-blue of ripe plums, with rich layers and extremely high collectible value.
â The glaze layer is thick, and the luster is soft and not dazzling, giving it a jade-like, moist texture.
(Pictured: Brewin Teaware Longquan Celadon "Entwined Lotus" Er Cai Gaiwan)
Unlike colorful porcelain, Longquan celadon does not rely on vibrant colors but expresses its beauty through carving and glaze color. Common decorative techniques include:
â Carving
â Incising
â Bas-relief
â Stamping
â AppliquÊ
Common patterns include:
â Lotus
â Auspicious clouds
â Dragon and phoenix
â Ruyi (scepter)
â Peony
â Landscapes, etc.
Some Longquan celadon develops natural crackle (fine cracks on the glaze surface), which is a natural phenomenon caused by different shrinkage rates between the glaze layer and the body. The crackle patterns are delicate and natural, creating a unique artistic effect favored by many collectors.
Longquan celadon not only has collection value but also serves as a very suitable vessel for daily use.
â High temperature and wear resistant.
â Suitable for brewing tea, flower arranging, burning incense, and as decorative pieces.
â Its moist glaze and elegant form combine practicality with Eastern aesthetics.
The charm of Longquan celadon can be summarized in eight words: "Green like jade, lustrous like fat; form in the vessel, infinite in meaning." Longquan celadon not only has collection value but is also a very suitable utensil for daily use. It is a fusion of traditional Chinese craftsmanship and Eastern aesthetics, loved by tea culture enthusiasts and collectors worldwide for millennia.
Text and images: janice
