CHINESE CERAMICS (CELADONS)

Chinese celadons (greenware) are among my favourite pieces. They are usually plain yet exquisite and so pleasing to behold. Some have incised peony, chrysanthemum flowers, lotus patterns or applique of fish or phoenix. The zenith of quality celadon production was during the Song Dynasty (10-12c) and the most famous kiln site was in Longquan.

After applying a green glaze, the piece is high fired in the kiln through an oxygen reduction process. If oxygen gets in, it will turn out into golden or brown instead of the beautiful sought after green. Moreover, if the firing is not regulated precisely (think its 1200 degree celsius) the outcome is stoneware rather than porcelain celadons.

The highest quality ceramics made for the emperor or officials are today known as imperial or official ware. Collectors pay a fortune for them. The only one I have is seen in the first photo, a bluish green (called mystic green) dish. I bought it in Jakarta over a quarter century ago. The earlier provenance is unknown but was probably a royal gift to a local dignitary. There were increasing trade during this period with SE Asia and among the items were chinese exportware ceramics, including celadons.

"Chinese Celadons and other related wares in Southeast Asia" compiled by the Southeast Asian Ceramic Society and published by Arts Orientalis Singapore provides photos and information on the subject.

            

cc18 exquisite blugrn celadon dish officialware 21.4x5.1cm Song 11c	cc13 jarlet ovoid lotus deco celadon 8.6x8cm song 11c purchased in Cambodia
cc15 dish fluted crysan celadon 30x5.8cm yuan 14C	cc01 jarlet globular 2ring celadon 10x12cm yuan 13c
cc17 dish 2phoenix celadon 24x6cm yuan 13-14c	cc04 jarlet peonies celadon 8.3x8cm yuan 13-14c
cc16 dish foliated floral celadon celadon 26.5x4.6cm 16-17c	cc02 jarlet dragon 2ring celadon 10.5x9cm ming 14-15c
cc19 dish phoenix goldceladon 18.7x3.5cm song 10-12c	cc07 jarlet celadon 6.5x7.7cm song 11-12c
cc23 dish 2fish celadon 12.5x4cm ssong 11-12c	cc09 jarlet crazed celadon 6x7.5cm song 12c
cc20 dish fluted lotus celadon 14.5x3.6cm song 10-12c	cc14 teapot lotus deco celadon 9x14 ching 18c
cc30 bowl lianzi lotuspod phoenix celadon 17x6.3cm ssong 11c	cc05 jarlet dragon goldceladon 7.5x8cm yuan 13c
cc29 bowl lianzi lotuspod celadon 17.2x7.5cm yuan 13c	cc06 jarlet goldceladon 7x8cm yuan 13-14c
cc32 bowl yingyang celadon 15x7.3cm song 11-12c	cc08 jarlet goldceladon 6.2x7.7cm song 12c
cc21 dish deep crazed olive 13.7x5cm song 12-13c	cc11 jarlet celadon brn patches 5.5x5.6cm changsa-type
cc28 bowl 4lotus flowers celadon 18.6x7.5cm song 12-13c	cc12 jarlet squat celadon 4x5.5cm song 12c
cc24 dish celadon 12x3.8cm 12-13c	cc31 bowl celadon 16.2x6.8cm yuan 13-14c

CHINESE CERAMICS (BLUE/WHITE)

Chinese blue-white ceramic is a technique of cobalt blue decoration on white (kaolin) clay pieces before they are glazed and high fired. They are more accurately referred to as underglazed blue ceramics. This is the most important contribution by the Yuan Dynasty (13-14c) potters. It probably reached its highest quality during the Ming and Ching Dynasties that followed where fine porcelain as opposed to stoneware were made. They became so popular locally and abroad that vast quantities are produced and shipped out particularly to SE Asia. They are commonly referred to Chinese exportware. During a short period in the Ming Dynasty when trade was banned, the potters went to Thailand and Vietnam there began large production by these countries for export.

My collection of underglaze blue exportware were purchased mostly from Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia and were from the Ming and Ching period.

cbw01 dish fu-cloud scrolls 28.2x7.2 ming swatow 15-16c	cbw27 vase cylindrical floral ching18-19c
cbw02 dish double happiness-shortlines 27.5x5 ching 18c	cbw08 teacup cover & stand c floral deco 8.8x6.6 ching 18c
cbw03 large bowl geopatterns 22.5x10.5cm ching 18c	cbw06-7 pair teacups dragons 7x5.5 ching 17c
cbw04 bowl dragons 17.6x8 ching 17c	cbw05 teacup pagoda-cscape 9.2x5.2 ching 18-19c
cbw09 jarlet globular 2 scholars 9x7.2 ming jiajing 16c	cbw29 bowl conical floral ching
cbw10 jarlet bulbous fruits floral 8.2x7.8 ching	cbw13 covered vase baluster ladies-floral 25x11.5 ching18c
cbw19-20 beakers covered cylindrical floral 25x8.5 ching 18c	cbw16 covered vase baluster floral 17x6.5 ching18c
cbw21-22 vases gourd 2mouth floral 22.5x11 ching18c	cbw25 vase bottle dragons 16x8.5 ching 19c
cbw23-24 vases beaker floral 15x8 ching18c	cbw17-18 vases covered baluster floral 14x5.5 ching 18c
cbw28 box covered rectangular ching	cbw14-15 covered vases baluster floral 17x8 ching 18c

CHINESE CERAMICS – (POLYCHROMES AND MONOCHROMES)

Besides the well known celadons (greenware) and blue-white (underglaze blue), Chinese ceramics include multicoloured (polychrome) and single coloured (monochrome) like white, black and brown glazed wares.

Polychromes I am pleased to display my oldest Chinese piece, a tricoloured bowl of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) from the recent salvaged “Tang Cargo”, a pair of Ching altar vases, 3 rare ceramic wall plaques and 3 increasingly popular Nonya (Straits Chinese/Peranakan) pieces. Apart from the Tang bowl, the others are family heirlooms.

c21 Tang period (6-10c)bowl with floral pattern in brown-green (15.3x5) from the “Tang cargo” shipwreck.	c05-06 prof 13in altar vases with 2 handles polychrome, Ching,  Kangzi mark (17-18c)
c01 blackwood framed polychrome plaque, birds-flowers, ching 19c	c02 blackwood framed polychrome plaque, landscape scenery, ching 19c
c03 blackwood framed polychrome plaque with 5 medallions, ching 19c
c09 nonya kamching covered jar, ching 19c	c07-08 pair of nonya kamquat covered jars, ching 19c

Monochromes.  These compose the white, black and brown glazed pieces. They are of bowls, tea-bowls, jarlets, a covered box and a kendi. They are mainly from the Song and Yuan periods (11-13c). The kendi (last photo) is probably a late 19c Ching piece.

c15 bowl conical foliated  floral white 16.4x6.2 yuan 13c	c16 bowl conical whorl white 16.6x6.3 song 12c
c17 bowl flared creamish white glaze 17x7 yuan 13c	c18 bowl alms yinyang fluted  creamish white 13.5x8 song13c
c19 covered box lenticular blu wh glaze 10x6 shufu	c20 jarlet globular white glaze 6.5x4.8 song 12c
c22 bowl tea 2pelicans black glaze jizhou-ware 14.2x5.2 song fujian 12c	c23 bowl tea black glaze jizhou-ware11.4x5 song fujian 12c
c24 bowl tea hare-fur glaze jian-ware12.3x6.5 song fujian 12c	c26 jarlet globular olive glaze 6.5x5.5 12-13c
c25 jarlet globular w 4 handles flaked olive glaze 8.5x8, 12-13c	c28 kendi, spout and 5 ring handles honey-brown glaze 30x12 19c