ART 198 - HISTORY OF WORLD CERAMICS

One class of celadons produced during the Song dynasty is known as Longquan (Lung 'chuan) celadon. Made in the southern province of Longquan after the court had fled the invasions of the north, this group of celadons are very distinctive. Funerary vases such as this example were often embellished with the additions of hand modeled dragons. Here a dog lazes atop the lid as a handle. The rich and buttery surface of the Longquan celadon glaze is opalescent, filled with thousands of miniscule bubbles of gases that were caught as the glaze cooled and solidified. The white porcelain clay beneath can be seen at every raised edge. These celadons were produced in large number, and many were exported to the faraway markets of Japan, Persia, and Southeast Asia.

LONGQUAN CELADON COVERED FUNERARY VASE, Southern Song Dynasty China, 1127-1279 CE