Chinese celadons ,
National Palace Museum Greenwares are found in earthenware from the
Shang dynasty onwards. These are now often called
proto-celadons, and tend to browns and yellows, without much green. The earliest major type of celadon was
Yue ware, which was succeeded by a number of kilns in north China producing wares known as
Northern Celadons, sometimes used by the imperial court. The best known of these is
Yaozhou ware. All these types were already widely exported to the rest of East Asia and the Islamic world. dans son salon de compagnie'' at the
Hôtel de Besenval, a portrait of the baron by
Henri-Pierre Danloux (1791). The green Chinese celadon vases mounted in
gilt bronze, which are visible on the mantelpiece, were sold together with their identical pendants in three lots by
Christie's on 8 July 2021 in
The Exceptional Sale for a total of GB£1,620,000.
Longquan celadon wares were first made during the Northern Song, but flourished under the Southern Song, as the capital moved to the south and the northern kilns declined. This had bluish, blue-green, and olive green glazes and the bodies increasingly had high
silica and
alkali contents which resembled later
porcelain wares made at
Jingdezhen and
Dehua rather than
stonewares. All the wares mentioned above were mostly in, or aiming to be in, some shade of green. Other wares which can be classified as celadons, were more often in shades of pale blue, very highly valued by the Chinese, or various browns and off-whites. These were often the most highly regarded at the time and by later Chinese connoisseurs, and sometimes made more or less exclusively for the court. These include
Ru ware,
Guan ware and
Ge ware, as well as earlier types such as the "secret color" (
mi se) wares, finally identified when the crypt at the
Famen Temple was opened. Large quantities of Longquan celadon were exported throughout East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East in the 13th–15th century. Large celadon dishes were especially welcomed in Islamic nations. Since about 1420 the Counts of
Katzenelnbogen have owned the oldest European import of celadon, reaching Europe indirectly via the Islamic world. This is a cup mounted in metal in Europe, and exhibited in Kassel in the Landesmuseum. After the development of
blue and white porcelain in
Jingdezhen ware in the early 14th century, celadon gradually went out of fashion in both Chinese and export markets, and after about 1500 both the quality and quantity of production was much reduced, though there were some antiquarian revivals of celadon glazes on Jingdezhen porcelain in later centuries. Decoration in Chinese celadons is normally only by shaping the body or creating shallow designs on the flat surface which allow the glaze to pool in depressions, giving a much deeper color to accentuate the design. In both methods carving, moulding and a range of other techniques may be used. There is very rarely any contrast with a completely different color, except where parts of a piece are sometimes left as unglazed
biscuit in Longquan celadon. File:Yue ware with motif 3rd century Western Jin Zhejiang.jpg|
Yue ware bowl, 3rd century CE,
Western Jin,
Zhejiang File:Pot tripode Musée Guimet 2418.jpg|
Yaozhou ware (Northern Celadon), with carved and engraved decoration, 10th century File:Porcelaine chinoise Guimet 231103.jpg|Yaozhou ware, Shaanxi province, Song dynasty, 10th–11th century File:Percival David Collection DSCF3122 17.jpg|Centre areas left unglazed in 'biscuit state', 14th century File:北宋汝窯青瓷蓮花式溫碗.tif|Warming Bowl in the Shape of a Flower with Light Bluish-green Glaze,
Ru ware File:Bowl with foliate rim, Guan ware, China, Southern Song dynasty, 1100s-1200s AD, ceramic, celadon glaze - Tokyo National Museum - Tokyo, Japan - DSC08368.jpg|
Guan ware, Southern Song dynasty, 1100s–1200s CE File:Spotted Celadon KONOIKE.JPG|Flower vase with Iron Brown Spots (飛青磁花生), Longquan kiln, Yuan dynasty, 13–14th century (National Treasure) File:Ceramic planter from the Ming Dynasty.jpg|Longquan celadon from Zhejiang,
Ming dynasty, 14–15th century File:Ewer. Lidded tripod with handles, used for heating certain alcoholic drinks. Stoneware with pale green (celadon) glaze. Six Dynasties, 500-580 CE. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpg|Ewer, lidded tripod with handles, used for heating certain alcoholic drinks. Stoneware with pale green (celadon) glaze.
Six Dynasties, 500–580 CE.
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Japanese celadons vase, 19th century The Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for greenware is . It was introduced during the Song dynasty (960–1270) from China and via Korea. Even though Japan has arguably the most diverse styles of ceramic art in the modern era, greenware was mostly avoided by potters because of the high loss rate of up to 80%.
Kaolinite, the
ceramic material usually used for the production of porcelain, also does not exist in large quantities like in China. One of the sources for kaolin in Japan is from
Amakusa in Kyushu. Nevertheless, a number of artists emerged whose works received critical acclaim in regards to the quality and color of the glazes achieved, as well as later on in the innovation of modern design. Three pieces originally from China have been registered by the government as
national treasures. They are two flower vases from the Longquan kiln dating to the southern Song dynasty in the 13th century, and a flower vase with iron brown spots also from Longquan kiln dating to the Yuan dynasty in the 13–14th century. Production in the style of Longquan was centered around
Arita, Saga and in the
Saga Domain under the lords of the
Nabeshima clan. Greenware is also closed entwined with white porcelain. The glaze with a mixed subtle color gradations of icy, bluish white is called porcelain. In Chinese this type of glaze is known as
Qingbai ware. Qingbai's history goes back to the Song dynasty. It is bisque-fired and painted with a glaze containing small amounts of iron. This turns a bluish color when fired again. Japanese artists and clients tend to favor the
seihakuji bluish white glaze over the completely green glaze. Kawase Shinobu (b. 1950), Minegishi Seiko (b. 1952), Kubota Atsuko (b. 1953), Yagi Akira (b. 1955) and (b. 1962). Artists such as Fukami Sueharu, Masamichi Yoshikawa, and Kato Tsubusa also produce abstract pieces, and their works are part of a number of national and international museum collections. Kato Tsubusa works with kaolin from New Zealand.
Korean celadons with kingfisher glaze,
Goryeo dynasty (National Treasure No. 95) Korean celadon has its own tradition of greenware production, dating back to the Three Kingdoms period. Korea has a tradition of making jewels and crowns with jade in
gogok shapes as a symbol of creativity, universe, divinity, and leadership. Chinese greenwares inspired local potters as well. Exceptional high-quality celadons were produced in Korea during the
Goryeo and
Joseon dynasties. An inlaid greenware technique known as
sanggam, where potters would engrave semi-dried pottery with designs and place black or white clay materials within the engraving, was invented in Korea during this time. Korean greenware, also known as "
Goryeo celadon" is usually a pale green-blue in color. The glaze was developed and refined during the 10th and 11th centuries during the Goryeo period, from which it derives its name. Korean greenware reached its zenith between the 12th and early 13th centuries, however, the
Mongol invasions of Korea in the 13th century and persecution by the Joseon dynasty government destroyed the craft. The
Gangjin Kiln Sites produced a large number of Goryeo wares and were a complex of 188 kilns. The kiln sites are located in
Gangjin County,
South Jeolla Province near the sea. Mountains in the north provided the necessary raw materials such as firewood,
kaolin and
silicon dioxide for the master potters while a well established system of distribution transported pottery throughout Korea and facilitated export to China and Japan. The sites are tentatively listed as a
World Heritage by the South Korean government. Celadon was used as a "spirit vessel" or Chy- Tang to summon spirits to bring positivity, in many Korean temples from the 14th century. Traditional Korean greenware has distinctive decorative elements. The most distinctive are decorated by overlaying glaze on contrasting clay bodies. With inlaid designs, known as
sanggam in Korean, small pieces of colored clay are inlaid in the base clay. Carved or
slip-carved designs require layers of a different colored clay adhered to the base clay of the piece. The layers are then carved away to reveal the varying colors. A number of items dating from the Goryeo dynasty have been registered by the government as a
National Treasure of South Korea, such as a Dragon kettle from the 12th century (National Treasure No. 61), a
maebyeong vase with
sanggam engraved cranes (National Treasure No. 68), an elaborate
censer with kingfisher glaze (National Treasure No. 95), and a pitcher in the shape of a
Dragon Turtle (National Treasure No. 96). Beginning in the early 20th century, potters, using modern materials and tools, attempted to recreate the techniques of ancient Korean Goyeo celadons. Playing a leading role in its revival was
Yu Geun-Hyeong (), a
Living National Treasure whose work was documented in the 1979 short film,
Koryo Celadon. Another notable potter and Living National Treasure was
Ji Suntaku (1912–1993). Today, hundreds of potters showcase their work at the Icheon Ceramics Village, which features contemporary work from Sugwang-ri, Sindun-myeon, and Saeum-dong,
Icheon. In the late 20th century ceramists like
Shin Sang-ho and
Kim Se-yong created their own styles based upon traditional Goryeo ware. Kim came to prominence for his
double-openwork his highly detailed which sometimes featured more than 1500 individually formed chrysanthemum flowers. The
National Museum of Korea in Seoul houses important celadon works and national treasures. The
Haegang Ceramics Museum and the
Goryeo Celadon Museum are two regional museums that focus on Korean greenware. File:청자 어룡 모양 주전자.jpg|Dragon turtle kettle, Goryeo dynasty, 12th century (National Treasure No. 61) File:Goryeo Celadon.jpg|
Maebyeong vase with
sanggam engraved cranes, hand carved 12th century Goryeo dynasty (National Treasure No. 68) File:Celadon Bowl with Inlaid Flower and Insect Design.jpg| Goryeo dynasty bowl with sanggam inlay File:Celadon Incense Burner with Girin Decoration.jpg|Goryeo celadon incense burner with Girin mystic sacred animal lid on it File:청자 참외 모양 병.jpg|Goryeo celadon of Korean Chamoe (yellow water melon) shaped motif, 12th century File:Celadon Cup and Saucer with Inlaid Chrysanthemum Design.jpg|Tea cup with flower inlays, Goryeo dynasty File:Buan Celadon Museum 13-04867.JPG|Horibyeong, Korea celadon of Goryeo period File:Celadon Lotus-shaped Water Dropper.jpg|Creative design of baby bamboo, virtue for scholars, water dropper for calligraphy, Seoye File:Goryeo celadon ewer.jpg|Goryeo celadon ewer or tea pot inside a cup File:백자 상감모란문 매병.jpg|A step to the white porcelain, Goryeo celadon File:청자 거북이 모양 주자.jpg|Pitcher in the shape of a
Dragon Turtle, Goryeo dynasty (National Treasure No. 96) File:청자 양각연화당초 상감모란문 은테 발.jpg|Inlay carved tea cup with silver lining, Goryeo celadon File:청자 양각갈대기러기문 정병.jpg|Celadon Buddhist
ritual sprinkler with
phragmites and wild
goose design in relief File:Celadon Square Incense Burner with Ogre Mask Design in Relief.jpg|Incense burner, Goryeo Celadon File:Celadon Incense Burner with Ogre Mask Design in Relief.jpg|Incense burner of Goryeo, celadon File:Buan Celadon Museum 13-04863.JPG|Pillow, celadon example of Goryeo period single-wall
openwork File:Celadon Dish with Inlaid Grape and Scroll Design.jpg|Celadon hand-carved inlaid and colored red, decorated with grapes File:Goryeo dynasty box with crane & cloud design, Honolulu Museum of Art 3600.1.JPG|Goryeo incense keeping case hand carved and inlaid with white and black, white cranes decorated File:Korea-Goryeo Dynasty-Wine ewer in the shape of a seated immortal-01.jpg|Korea Goryeo dynasty object of a seated immortal File:Korea, Goryeo period - Melon-shaped Ewer with Incised Peony Design - 1921.618 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|Korean water melon Chamowe shape tea pot or ewer became popular File:Buan Celadon Museum 13-04875.JPG|Celadon
openwork chairs, objects for calligraphy ceremony Seoye File:Korea, Goryeo period - Bowl with Incised Parrot Design - 1924.136 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|Lighter glazed tea cup Goryeo celadon, incised parrot File:Dinastia goryeo, bottiglia con decoro a canne di bambù, ceramica celadon, xiii secolo.jpg File:Korea, Goryeo period - Vase - 1917.1049 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|Celadon vase, Goryeo period File:Covered box containing oil bottle and four small covered boxes, Honolulu Museum of Art, 4939.1-6.JPG|Aromatic oil container with four other incense boxed File:Bowl with molded and carved design of lotus, Korea, Gangjin kilns, Goryeo period, 1100-1250 AD, stoneware, celadon, glaze - Freer Gallery of Art - DSC04936.jpg|Molded and carved lotus, Gangjin kilns, 1100–1250 celadon File:Korea, Goryeo period - Dish with Inlaid Chrysanthemum Design - 1924.135 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|
Face washing plate called sesoodaeya, Goryeo celadon File:청자 유개항아리.jpg|Lidded Jar, Joseon dynasty (National Treasure No. 1071) File:Goryeo celadon 12C Korean incense burner with a duck lid and lotus.jpg|Goryeo celadon incense burner with duck lid on, 12th century, duck symbolizes a sacred guide to the sky on the way across a hwangcheon river after death ==Southeast Asia==