Celadon
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What is celadon pottery?
Celadon is a greenish ceramic glaze used on stoneware valued in China, Korea, Thailand, and Japan. To create celadon, artisans apply a wash of slip containing a high proportion of iron to the stoneware before glazing. The iron interacts with the glaze during firing, coloring it various shades of green.
Yue ware, first made in China during the Han dynasty, was the earliest celadon. Korean celadons of the Koryŏ period (918–1392) had a glaze that varied from bluish green to putty color. Thai celadons, influenced by Chinese wares, had a translucent glaze, usually grayish green and often crackled, over a grayish-white body.
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What is special about the color of celadon pottery?
Celadon pottery is known for its distinctive greenish ceramic glaze on stoneware, highly prized in China, Korea, Thailand, and Japan. The unique color comes from applying a slip (liquefied clay) with a high iron content to the stoneware before glazing. During firing, the iron interacts with the glaze, resulting in various green shades. The Chinese valued celadon for its beauty and resemblance to jade. Yue ware, the earliest celadon, featured olive or brownish-green glaze. Korean celadons displayed bluish-green to putty-colored glazes, often with inlaid decoration. Thai celadons, influenced by Chinese techniques, had a translucent, grayish-green glaze, frequently crackled, over a grayish-white body.
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Where and when was celadon pottery first made?
Celadon pottery was first produced in China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). This early celadon, known as Yue ware, featured an olive or brownish green glaze.
Later, during the Tang dynasty (618–907), celadon was exported to Persia, India, and Egypt. Celadon gained popularity in Asia during the Song (960–1279) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties and reached Europe in the 14th century. Kilns in Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian provinces became important celadon producers starting in the late Han period.
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How is the unique glaze of celadon pottery created?
Celadon pottery's unique glaze is achieved by applying a slip, a liquefied clay with a high iron content, to the stoneware before glazing. During firing, the iron interacts with the glaze, resulting in various shades of green, a characteristic of celadon. This technique originated in China and later spread to other regions, including Korea, Thailand, and Japan. The beauty of celadon was highly valued, especially in China, where its resemblance to jade added to its appeal.
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What types of designs or motifs are common on celadon pottery?
Celadon pottery commonly features incised or molded decorations. In Chinese celadons, floral and foliate patterns are frequently incised under the glaze, a design style also found on blue-painted wares. Thai celadons often display roughly incised vertical flutes and floral motifs beneath a grayish-green glaze. Korean celadons diverge by using inlaid decoration beneath the glaze, with diverse floral subjects, birds, and clouds. Some pots have unglazed molding that creates a dark reddish-brown contrast to the glaze color.
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How did celadon pottery influence other cultures and styles around the world?
Celadon pottery, known for its greenish glaze, originated in China and significantly impacted ceramic traditions across Asia and beyond. During the Tang dynasty (618–907), celadon was exported to Persia, India, and Egypt. The Song (960–1279) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties saw celadon spread throughout most of Asia, and by the 14th century, it had reached Europe.
In Korea, celadon evolved with unique inlaid decoration, diverging from typical Chinese styles. Thai celadons, influenced by Chinese techniques, featured a grayish-green translucent glaze and incised floral decorations. Japan began producing imitative celadon during the Kamakura period (1192–1333), with the creation of Old Seto ware.
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Celadon, greenish ceramic glaze that is used on stoneware. Celadon is used both for the glaze itself and for the article so glazed. It is particularly valued in China, Korea, Thailand, and Japan.
To create this ware, artisans apply a wash of slip (liquefied clay), which contains a high proportion of iron, to the body of the stoneware before glazing. The iron interacts with the glaze during the firing and colours it one of various shades of green. First made in China, celadon was exported to India, Persia, and Egypt in the Tang dynasty (618–907), to most of Asia in the Song (960–1279) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties, and to Europe in the 14th century. The ware was popular because of its beauty; the Chinese also valued it because it resembled jade. Adding to its popularity was a widely believed superstition suggesting that a celadon dish would break or change colour if poisoned food were put into it.
Yue ware, first made in the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce) in China, was the earliest celadon; the glaze used was olive or brownish green. Beginning in the late Han period, the kilns in Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian provinces became important celadon producers. The celadons of the Song dynasty, which came from the kilns of Longquan, were the first to reach Europe. Guan kiln, Ru kiln, and Yaozhou kiln also produced celadon during this period. Surviving wares include large dishes, bowls, and large vases. The glaze of these works, superb in quality, is a transparent green colour and is thick and viscous, usually with a well-marked crackle. Decoration was usually incised in celadon, but molded ornament was also sometimes used. On some pots the molding was left unglazed, so that it burned to a dark reddish brown—an effective contrast to the colour of the glaze. Most celadons attributable to the Ming dynasty have incised, under-the-glaze floral and foliate decoration.
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Korean celadons of the Koryŏ period (918–1392) had a glaze that varied from bluish green to a putty colour. Many of the forms were lobed, based on the melon or the gourd. Korean celadon’s major divergence from typical Chinese celadon was the inlaid decoration often found beneath the glaze. The designs were first incised into the clay and the incisions were then filled with black-and-white slip. The inlaid patterns were diverse, but most of the subjects were floral, with occasional birds and clouds. Isolated flowers with symmetrically radiating petals were also popular, principally on boxes. During the early part of the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910), patterns were often impressed on the stoneware by stamps rather than incised freehand.
Thai celadons, influenced by Chinese wares, had a translucent glaze, usually grayish green and often crackled, over a grayish white body. Roughly incised vertical flutes were a common decoration. Other forms of decoration (usually floral motifs) were incised under the glaze. Common forms included covered bowls, dishes, ewers, and bottles with two small loop handles at the neck.
In Japan, the importation of Yue ware and the respect for Korean celadon led to imitative production near Seto (Aichi prefecture) during the Kamakura period (1192–1333). The most important ware from this period is known as Old Seto, a true celadon that was often oxidized to what the Japanese call a “dead leaf” colour. Ritual vases, loop-handled jars, rice-wine vessels, ewers, and incense burners were among the Old Seto ware; glazes included black and olive green. During the 17th century (Edo period), fine examples of celadon were also made at the famous Nabeshima kilns at Arita, Japan (see Imari ware).
In modern times, large-scale production of traditional celadon domestic wares has been undertaken at Bangkok. Ingenious copies of early ware were made in the 20th century in China, Japan, and Korea.
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