Special Exhibition:"Northern Song Ru Ware - Recent Archaeological Findings"

This would be the first exhibition in Japan to introduce the archaeological findings from the kiln site of the Northern Song Ru ware at Qingliangsi Temple in Baofeng-xian, Henan Province, which has been investigated by the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in China. Extant Ru ware are very few, including those housed in the National Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei as well as the example in Japan known as the “narcissus basin” in the collection of our museum. Ru ware is a type of celadon ware produced in the late Northern Song dynasty for court use. It is well-known for its distinctive “sky-blue” glaze and the meticulous modeling, highly praised as one of the prominent achievements among Chinese celadon. This exhibition explores through the mystery and charm of the Northern Song Ru ware by displaying approximately eighty pieces selected from the excavated materials at the Qingliangsi Temple in Baofeng County. It also introduces part of the excavated items from the kiln sites of Zhanggongxiang, a recently discovered kiln site in Ruzhou city that is gaining great attention.

Information

Title：
Special Exhibition: “Northern Song Ru Ware ― Recent Archaeological Findings”
Dates：
from Saturday, December 5th , 2009 to Sunday, March 28th, 2010
Venue：
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
1-1-26, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi
(East side of the Osaka Central Public Hall)
- Just in front of the “Naniwabashi”station of the Keihan Nakanoshima line
- Approximately 400m from the following subway stations:
"Yodoyabashi" of the Midosuji line or Keihan main line
"Kitahama" of the Sakaisuji line or the Keihan main line
Closed：
Mondays (except Dec.14th, 21st, Jan. 11th and Mar. 22nd) New Year Holidays (Monday, Dec.28th – Monday, Jan. 4th) Tuesday, Jan. 12th, Friday, Feb. 12th, Tuesday, Mar. 23rd.
Opening Hours：
from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Between Dec. 12th and Dec. 25: until 9:00pm
*Please enter by 30 minutes prior to closing time.
Organizers：
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
Henan Province Cultural Relics Bureau
The Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka Head Quarters
Special Cooperation：
Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Cooperation：
Japan Airlines
Supported by：
Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Osaka
Admission：
Adults 900 yen (750 yen)
University & high school students 600 yen (450 yen)

- Prices in parenthesis are group discount rates for a party of 20 people or more.
- The following visitors are free of charge:
* Holders of Shintaishogaisha techo (Identification Booklet for the Physically Challenged)
* Senior citizens of Osaka City holding IDs including:
Kenko techo (Health Handbook) with a ‘crane’ mark
Keiro yutai joshasho (senior discount ID for public transportation)
* Junior-high school students and under

Number of items on display：
approximately eighty
Also showing：
*Featured exhibition: The Pottery of Uno Soyo I
*Permanent exhibition:
Chinese and Korean Ceramics of the Ataka Collection
Korean ceramics of the Rhee Byung-Chang Collection
Japanese ceramics
Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Oki Shoichiro Collection

 

Lecture & Symposium

(1) Lecture
Date：
Saturday, December 5th, 1:30pm-4:00pm
Venue：
Osaka Bengoshi Kaikan
(Osaka Bar Association Main Building)
10F Conference room
Maximum number of admission：
120
*Admission free, first-come-first-served basis, numbered tickets will be distributed at the conference room from 11:30.
Titles and lecturers：
"The Use of Ru Ware and Guan Celadon Wares in Court Life"
Dr. Liu Zhouhui, Assistant Professor
Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology
Fudan University, Shanghai
"A Study on Ru Ware"
Degawa Tetsuro, Director
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
(2) International Symposium "An Approach to the Mystery of Northern Song Ru Ware" (Provisional title)
Date：
Saturday, March 13th and Sunday, March 14th, 2010
Venue：
Osaka Museum of History, Lecture Hall
Maximum number of admission：
250
*Admission free, first-come-first-served basis
Content：
Most recent findings on Ru ware will be presented by scholars of China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

*This symposium has been subsidized by the Pola Art Foundation.
*Details will be announced on a later date. Please check through our website.

Lobed Bowl, celadon

Height ：10.2cm
Excavated from the Qingliangsi kiln site in Baofeng-xian
The Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

Small bowls were the most commonly produced Ru ware vessels during the period of maturation, dominating approximately 28% of the total. These bowls can be classified into several types according to the modeling of their mouth rims and bodies. This piece is in the shape of a flower with ten petals, reminiscent of a lotus flower. There are traces of restoration on many areas. A similar work housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei is one of the representative examples of Ru ware known today.

Vase, celadon with carved dragon design

Height：30.4cm
Excavated from the Qingliangsi kiln site in Baofeng-xian
The Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

This is a vase with a rather large dish-shaped mouth and a carved dragon on the body. Traces of a considerable amount of restoration are observed. The dragon flies through the skies, spurting out a flaming pearl. Since the discovery of quite a few number of Ru pieces with decoration at the Qingliangsi kiln site, the conventional idea that Ru ware hardly had any design has been modified.

Cover of an Incense Burner in the Shape of a Mandarin Duck, celadon

Height ：15.0cm
Excavated from the Qingliangsi kiln site in Baofeng-xian
The Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

This is a cover of an incense burner decorated with a figure of a mandarin duck. The lid on which the duck stands is in the shape of a lotus dried seed head, on top of which the seeds are represented in tiny protrusions. The mandarin duck was molded, depicting the thin lines of the feathers elaborately. The black eyes were dotted in iron glaze. The small wings on the sides render a charming impression of the duck. While no similar examples have been known in Ru ware, incense burners with lids in the shape of a mandarin duck are known in Jingdezhen qingbai porcelain of the Northern Song dynasty and Goryeo celadon. The relationship between the latter and Ru ware in particular has been elucidated even more by the discovery of this piece.