How were Ding bowls fired, and why did some have metal bands around their rims?

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Neolithic Banshan pottery: funerary urn — Chinese pottery Painted Pottery funerary urn, Neolithic Banshan phase, c. 3000 bce, from Yangshao, Henan province, China; in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm. Height 13.2 inches (33.5 cm).

Many Ding ware bowls were fired mouth downward, or upside down, in the kiln. This specific firing technique was used to maximize efficiency, but it resulted in an unglazed rim where the vessel rested during the firing process.12

To address this aesthetic imperfection and protect the exposed edge, these bowls were often finished with a metal band—typically made of copper or silver—around the rim. While these bands were primarily used to cover the unglazed area, they were also occasionally applied to other types of Song dynasty pottery to conceal damage.12