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Why were Longquan celadon dishes popular in overseas markets?
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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).
Longquan celadon dishes achieved significant popularity in overseas markets due to a combination of aesthetic appeal, durability, and a widely held superstition.
The primary reasons for their success included:
- Superstition: A prevalent belief suggested that a celadon dish would either break or change color if it contained poisoned food, making the ware highly desirable for safety and status.12
- Durability: The heavier varieties of Longquan celadon were specifically crafted to withstand the rigors of long-distance transport to international destinations.1
- Aesthetic Beauty: The ware was prized for its beauty, characterized by a superb, thick, and viscous transparent green glaze that resembled jade, a material highly valued in Chinese culture.12
These factors, alongside the thriving export trade, established Longquan celadon as a prominent commodity in Chinese pottery history, with large dishes being the most frequent surviving examples found in overseas markets.12