Hongzhou Kiln

Author: Zhang Wenjiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Hongzhou Kiln is located in Fengcheng City, central Jiangxi Province. Fengcheng is situated at the southern end of the Poyang Lake Basin, with the Gan River flowing diagonally from west to east across the entire region. The area is characterized by rolling hills, continuous mountain ranges, dense forests, and abundant resources of porcelain clay and coal. This ensures a plentiful supply of raw materials and fuel for porcelain production. Numerous rivers in the region not only provide ample water for the porcelain industry but also facilitate the distribution of products. Ancient laborers, using their hard work and ingenuity, utilized the rich natural porcelain resources of Fengcheng to produce the renowned Hongzhou celadon. Although Hongzhou Kiln was one of the six major kilns of the Tang Dynasty, it is rarely mentioned in ancient literature. This was because the ruling class and literati of the time regarded handicrafts as a lowly profession. Hongzhou Kiln is only mentioned in the The Tea Classic by Lu Yu (733–804 AD) of the Tang Dynasty. The The Tea Classic, written in the middle Tang period during the second year of the Guangde era (764 AD), primarily discusses the origins, varieties, production areas, firing techniques, tea brewing methods, production tools, and tea drinking utensils. The book states: "Porcelain from Yuezhou and Yuezhou is green, and green porcelain enhances tea, making the tea appear white and red; Xingzhou porcelain is white, and the tea turns reddish; Shouzhou porcelain is yellow, and the tea turns purple; Hongzhou porcelain is brown, and the tea turns black—all of these are unsuitable for tea."
Historical records mention Hongzhou Kiln very rarely, and for a long time, this important southern celadon production base remained largely unknown. Archaeological excavations and research on historical documents have shown that Hongzhou Kiln was capable of producing relatively mature celadon as early as the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It developed further during the Three Kingdoms period under the Eastern Wu and Western Jin dynasties, gradually entering its peak during the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, and continued to thrive until the mid-Tang Dynasty. From the late Tang Dynasty onwards, it gradually declined, being replaced by Jizhou Kiln to the south and Jingdezhen Kiln to the north. Its production spanned over 800 years. In tombs discovered in Jiangxi and other regions, exquisite Hongzhou porcelain pieces have been unearthed repeatedly. In the important Tang Dynasty trading city of Yangzhou, traces of Hongzhou celadon have also been found, indicating that it was already being exported at the time. In recent years, significant breakthroughs in the excavation and study of Hongzhou Kiln sites have allowed for a comprehensive and scientific assessment of its historical significance.
The mid-Tang Dynasty was the peak period of Hongzhou Kiln. The types of wares remained largely consistent with previous periods, but the overall quantity decreased compared to earlier times. Production was dominated by bowls and cups, with improved quality. New types of high-footed cups imitating the shapes of gold and silver vessels appeared, as did handled wares. Shallow foot-rings also began to emerge. The body color was deeper, often dark gray or iron-gray, with finely processed clay. A gray slip was applied before glazing. The glaze was mostly applied to the inner and outer surfaces, with some fully glazed on the inside but not reaching the bottom foot. The glaze layer was thick and uniform, with a delicate, smooth, and glossy surface. The glaze color was predominantly celadon-brown or brown, with some yellow-brown or oxblood-brown, matching the description of the glaze in Lu Yu’s The Tea Classic. During this period, porcelain primarily focused on the decorative effect of the glaze itself, with few decorations, mostly limited to heavy ring patterns.
In the late Tang Dynasty, the fragmentation of regional authorities and frequent peasant uprisings severely impacted economic development. During the Five Dynasties period, political instability and social turmoil continued, extending the economic decline of the late Tang Dynasty. Against this economic and historical backdrop, Hongzhou Kiln began to decline. After centuries of kiln operation before the Tang Dynasty, the porcelain clay resources in the central area of Luohu Town in Qujiang Town had been exhausted. Therefore,