Chinese porcelain wares have historically been, and still are among the most highly respected in the industry, and are exported with high appraisals around the entire world.

True porcelain wares, in the more modern sense appeared during the Han dynasty. From the point where it was first developed, different styles formed throughout the different periods, and they became their own, individual styles. The primary forms that sprung from the Han dynasty were celadon porcelain and black porcelain, as they were the types that were highest in production.? Celadon porcelain continued its development throughout the dynasties, reaching an important step in the late Tang dynasty, when celadon porcelain’s production techniques evolved and matured so

that large scale manufacture became possible. Simultaneously, white porcelain - having made its appearance in the later Northern and Southern dynasty - also reached its peak.

What is the history of the name?
Celadon porcelain is characterized by its simple, yet quite refined shapes, by its jade-like glaze, by its solid substance, and by its quite distinctive style.? As the wares of celadon porcelain were produced in the Longquan County, in the Zhejiang Province, it became the most valued, and became more generally known as longquan qingci. This is its Chinese name, and it means “greenish porcelain.”?

Celadon, the person carrying the name, was the hero of a revered French writer Honore d”Urfe, in his romance L’Astrée, of 1610; Celadon was the lover of the heroine Astrée.?

Celadon was depicted as a young man who dresses all in green, and this fashion

became the rage in most of Europe.? It was just about this time that the Chinese porcelain qingci made its way into Paris, and won its first acclaims. Therefore, people began to compare the color of the qingci with the color of Celadon’s suit, and began calling the porcelain “celadon,” which spread to other countries.

What are specials of Celadon porcelain?

Celadon glaze refers to a family of transparent, crackle glazes, produced in a wide variety of colors, generally used on porcelain or stoneware clay bodies.

in a reducing atmosphere kiln. As with most glazes, crazing (a glaze defect) can occur in the glaze and, if the characteristic is desirable, is referred to as crackle glaze.

What are derivations of the Celadon porcelain?
Ru
The finest celadon was reserved for the imperial palace. During the reign of the Sung Dynasty Emperor Huizong (1101 to 1125 A.D.), potters created Ru celadon with a sky-blue crackled glaze. Some Ru celadon still exists, considered among the finest examples of Chinese celadon.

Gangjin
In Korea, Gangjin celadon has a history of close to 600 years, dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty. It is noted for its sky-blue color. Its early manufacture in and around Gangjin is attributed to the area's ideal climate, clay deposits and advanced sea transport. Today, Gangjin celadon is celebrated with an annual cultural festival, which includes an exhibition of wares made by leading artisans. Gangjin celadon is also displayed at the Gangjin Celadon Ware Museum, which opened in 1997.

Goryeo
During the 1960s, the master Korean potter, Cho Ki-jung successfully recreated the sky blue color of the original celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty. This was due to his discovery of an important mineral component of the celadon formula: cockle shells. His celadon wares were sold initially in the early 1970s, coinciding with the excavation of a 12th century kiln in Gangjin. In 1977, the Goryeo Celadon kiln in Gangjin was re-lit, about 600 years after it was dimmed.

Sankaloke
The history of celadon in Thailand was made possible when celadon potters from China relocated to Thailand and kilns were established to produce what is known as Sankaloke or Siamese celadon. The ancient city of Si Satchanalai was where the manufacture of glazed stoneware began in the 10th century. During the 13th century, celadon manufacturing was established in the Thai capital called Sukhothai, and an agreement was made with China for the transfer of stoneware crafting techniques and equipment.