Celadon Narcissus Basin with Light Bluish-Green Glaze
Ru ware
Northern Song dynasty, end of 11th – early 12th century
Height 6.7cm, mouth diameter 23.0×16.4cm
National Palace Museum, Taipei
Photograph: MUDA Tomohiro
This is the one and only “masterpiece of the masterpieces” among the Northern Song Ru wares that were passed down over generations. Investigations revealed that the so-called tianqing or “heavenly blue”color of the glaze was produced by using pulverized agate. It is the only piece that falls under the “no pattern” category, the feature which a Ming document evaluates as the most outstanding among Ru celadon. The Qing emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) particularly favored this piece among the Ru ware collection in the court, having his poem engraved on the base. There is a record mentioning that copies of this piece were produced at the Jingdezhen kiln during the Yongzheng and Qianlong eras, one of which that is now owned by the National Palace Museum, Taipei will be on display. Emperor Qianlong even ordered a gorgeous pedestal made in red sandalwood exclusively for this piece. It stores a manuscript Shuhua Hebi (A Harmonious Match of Painting and Calligraphy), a work by the four great calligraphers of the Song dynasty which was copied by the emperor himself. The National Palace Museum, Taipei is proud to show its supreme treasure to the public in Japan for the first time.