Foreword-Colors in Dreams
? Azure is the color that Song Huizong saw in his dream, leaving a poem "The sky is blue after the rain, so the color determines the future", so he ordered the craftsman to burn the color he wanted, and asked to burn porcelain close to jade texture. Fortunately, Ruzhou is rich in agate stone since ancient times, which provides a glaze basis for the firing of jade porcelain. In the early Song Dynasty, the north was also the center of porcelain making, with advanced production technology and excellent porcelain makers. This is the right time, the right place and the right people, and the karma is sufficient, which has made Tianqing Ruyao famous all over the world; There are many square kilns in Ruzhou, forming a prosperous scene of "hundreds of miles of mountains and rivers on both sides of Ruhe River are burning everywhere".
There is a saying in the collection circle that "it is better to have a lot of money than to have a Ru kiln". The scarcity of Ruyao porcelain in the Northern Song Dynasty is not only from the contemporary era. Hui Zhou, a native of the Southern Song Dynasty, said in the book Qingbo Magazine: "Burning is forbidden in Ruyao Palace, and agate powder is used as glaze, which can only be sold if the royal family picks it up. It is particularly rare recently. " It can be seen that Ruyao porcelain is precious.
Tian se. Legend of Ruyao
The reputation of "the top of celadon, the top of Ru kiln" comes from its beautiful shape, exquisite craftsmanship, elegant glaze color and various types. The handed down products found so far can be roughly divided into: pankou bottle, Yuhuchun bottle, small mouth plum bottle, goose neck bottle, Zun, furnace, box, bowl, basin, jar, bowl, pen washer and so on.
The glaze color of Ru kiln is mainly cyan, including sky blue, egg green, pink green, turquoise, bean green, pale sky blue, lush green, cowpea green, moonlight white and sky blue. The most beautiful glaze color of Ru kiln is a kind of blue, pure and moist light azure. The enamel color is as rich and moist as jade, and the glaze is looming, which has a soft and subtle feeling similar to ancient jade. There are often fine ice cracks on the glaze of Ru kiln, mostly very fine lines scattered randomly, commonly known as "crab claw lines". Ru kiln pays attention to elegant glaze color and open grain, and there are not many descriptions and decorations. Some vessels are decorated with only one or several chords, which is simple and refreshing. Ruyao porcelain tires are mainly gray and white, with different shades, similar to burnt incense ashes, commonly known as "incense ashes tires". Its rich connotation, far-reaching artistic conception, and the collection of artistic essence have become beyond the reach of other kiln mouths, and Ru kiln has its own system.
The origin of the prototype of Ruyao paper hammer bottle can be traced back to the glass crafts in Iran and Egypt in the ninth and tenth centuries, and it is a popular glass work between the ninth and twelfth centuries. Because the bottle has a long neck and sloping shoulders like a hammer, western scholars called it "hammer bottle" in the twentieth century because of its shape. The paper hammer bottle is elegant and simple in shape, which is more common in Ru kiln. The overall shape of the utensils is neat and tough, and the edges are too smooth, which reflects the beauty of strength and stretching. It is speculated that the paper hammer bottle may be a bottle used to hold rose water, and its main function is appreciation and decoration, so it is particularly delicate. Now the National Palace Museum in Taipei collects two pieces. This kind of modeling has gradually evolved with the development. According to the comparison of unearthed kiln sites, this kind of paper hammer bottle is more common in Zhanggongxiang kiln than Qingliangsi kiln.
The picture above shows the paper hammer bottle of Ru kiln in Song Dynasty, which was collected by a collection family in Hunan. Professor Li's ancestors were a minister of the Qing Dynasty at that time. As collectors keep a low profile, we should not introduce their family situation too much. This bottle is 22 cm high and 9 cm in diameter. Glaze with agate, the agate crystal is obvious, the glaze color is bright and clear, the glass texture is strong, and there are traces of mud and mud in some areas, and the mud and mud are in the inner layer of the oxide layer. This phenomenon of molecular movement takes a very long time to form in contact with soil. Under the magnifying glass, there are scattered bubbles under the glaze, which are as weak as the morning star with the naked eye. The underglaze bubble in Ru kiln is one of the typical characteristics of Ru kiln. According to the microscopic observation of the works handed down from ancient times by experts, the bubbles are concentric circles, which is no different from this product. The bottom surface is slightly concave inward, surrounded by three sesame-sized Zhi Ding marks, and there are obvious traces of soft soil. Zhi Ding is used to hold the bottom of the glazed porcelain, and Zhi Ding is knocked out after firing, leaving only tiny burn marks on the bottom of the ware, which can make the surface of the ware full of glaze and ensure the beauty of the ware to the greatest extent.
This Ruyao paper hammer bottle is beautiful and dazzling, with similar glaze color, such as the famous collection flask of David Foundation. The colors of royal enamel vary from light duck egg blue to blue sky blue like this series, which is elegant and beautiful and unforgettable. Appraised by many authoritative experts, this device conforms to the characteristics of Ru kiln and is firm and stable. The smoke from burning wood penetrates into the glaze, so it can't be copied. It belongs to the style of Liang Qing Temple in Song Dynasty, belonging to the late Northern Song Dynasty, with perfect utensils. It is a model of Ru Ci, with high collection value, economic value and historical academic research value.
? The scarcity of Ru kilns in the Northern Song Dynasty is related to its short firing time, which is only about 20 years. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Ru kilns were very rare. Ruyao culture is an important part of Song Dynasty culture. It is unique with its exquisite craftsmanship, beautiful modeling, rich glaze color and elegant charm, and is an important landmark in the development of celadon in China. Li Kuchan, a master of modern art, once wrote: The museums in the world are hardly perfect without you, which shows that Ru Ci has an extraordinary position in ancient ceramics.
? Throughout the ages, Ru kilns in the Northern Song Dynasty have become famous all over the world, and they are still flourishing today. Collectors admire the beauty of Yun Qi, and it is rare for them to treasure their precious gold, so they must regard it as the ultimate collection goal.
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