Temporary Exhibition :
"Mystery of Southern Song Guan Ware – Archaeological Findings from the Kiln Site at Laohudong, Hangzhou
"
This exhibition is the first occasion in Japan to introduce the archaeological findings of the celadon kiln sites at Laohudong in Hangzhou by the Hangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, which was selected as one of the ten greatest archaeological discoveries in China in 2001.
During the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), the court established the so-called “Southern Song Guan kilns” in the capital city Lin’an (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province), the official kilns at which celadon exclusively for court use was produced. Literary evidence suggests that there were official kilns in two locations, Xiuneisi and Jiaotanxia. Although it is known that the Jiaotanxia kilns had been located at the foot of Mount Wugui, the location of Xiuneisi kilns has been a great mystery. Thus the discovery of the kiln site at Laohudong, near the imperial palace of the Southern Song, has been drawing great attention for its possibility of being the site of Xiuneisi, for a large number of celadon shards were unearthed as well as materials marked “Xiuneisi”. Southern Song Guan ware is one of the most prestigious ware among Chinese celadon, known for its thinly potted dark clay body, multi-layered thick glaze producing a profound tone called “powder blue” and distinctive crackles.
This exhibition aims to unfold the mystery and charm of Southern Song Guan ware by showing approximately 50 archaeological materials excavated from the Laohudong kiln site in Hangzhou.
Information
Title:
Temporary Exhibition : "Mystery of Southern Song Guan Ware – Archaeological Findings from the Kiln Site at Laohudong, Hangzhou"
Dates:
Saturday, August 7 - Sunday, November 28, 2010
Opening hours:
From 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Last admission: 4:30 PM)
Closed:
Mondays (Open on September 20 and October 11), Tuesday, September 21 and Tuesday, October 12.
Venue:
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
1-1-26, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka
-Just in front of “Naniwabashi” station of Keihan Nakanoshima Line
-400m from “Yodoyabashi” station of Subway Midosuji Line or Keihan Main Line.
-400m from “Kitahama” station of Subway Sakaisuji Line or Keihan Main Line.
Organizer:
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, Hangzhou History Museum, The Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka Headquarters
Admission:
Adults 600 yen (480 yen)
University & high school students 360 yen (300 yen)
・All exhibitions can be viewed with the above admission.
・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), including one companion
*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 50 pieces
Also showing:
Featured Exhibition:
Color and Design of the Orient - Persian Ceramics of the TAKADA Collection
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
Inquiries:
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
Phone: 06-6223-0055
Fax : 06-6223-0057
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| poster | leaflet |
GU VASE, celadon
Excavated from the kiln site of Laohudong, Hangzhou
Southern Song dynasty, 12th century
Height :25.8cm
Mouth-rim diameter :15.6cm
Base diameter :9.1cm
Hangzhou History Museum
The form of this vase, made by luting the upper and lower sections, imitates the bronze ritual vessel gu. The beautifully flaring trumpet mouth makes a starp contrast with the slim body. Four ridges decorate the side of the body, which is a simplification of the saw-tooth flanges often observed in ancient bronze vessels. The glaze, powder blue with a grayish green tinge, is highly transparent and has a vitreous texture. Fine crackles cover the whole body. The color of the clay body is grayish black. A similar gu-shaped vessel was excavated from the Jiaotanxia official kiln as well.
VASE, celadon
Excavated from the kiln site of Laohudong, Hangzhou
Souther Song dynasty
12～13th century
Height :36.5cm
Mouth-rim diameter :9.6cm
Body diameter :20.3cm
Base diameter :13.3cm
Hangzhou History Museum
This type of long-necked vase is known as yu hu chung or a pear-shaped vase in China. While there are a variety of sizes ranging from 25 to 35cm, this piece is one of the largest among them. While the work was fired in reduced atmosphere, producing a powder-blue color with a grayish green tone, part of the body displays the "rice-chaff color" due to a certain degree of oxidation occured during firing. The section of the glaze suggests that the glaze was applied in three layers. Fine crackles cover the body, which has a dark color. The crack left on the body seems to be the point it was smashed to be discarded as an unsuccessful piece.
DING-SHAPED INCENSE BURNER, celadon
Excavated from the kiln site of Laohudong, Hangzhou
Southern Song dynasty, 12～13th century
Height :12.5cm,
Mouth-rim diameter :14.5cm
Body diameter :15.4cm
Hangzhou History Museum
This vessel, an imitation of the ancient Chinese bronze vessel ding, was probably used as an incense burner. Two handles are applied on the mouth rim and three legs originally supported the vessel, though one of them is now missing. The glaze is beautiful opaque powder blue with fine crackles covering the body. The section of the glaze reveals that the glaze was applied in two or three layers. It has a dark body, and the base is fully glazed, leaving six circular spur marks in the center in even intervals. A well-known similar example is the incense burner with double-layered crackles, a collection of the Seikado Bunko Art Museum.
