Simple and pure Cizhou Ware

When white glaze porcelain with black decoration is mentioned, there is no doubt that people will associate it with Cizhou kiln--a famous folk porcelain kiln in the Song Dynasty. It is renowned for firing underglaze black and brown colored porcelain. It is the largest folk kiln system in Northern China, and its technique and technology of porcelain making has a far-reaching influence in Northern China.

The site of Cizhou kiln is located in the district of Pengcheng, Ci County, Handan Prefecture of Hebei Province. The site was under Cizhou's jurisdiction in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, so the kiln got the name after Cizhou. It inherited the porcelain-making characteristics of folk kiln in Northern China of the Tang Dynasty, so there are abundant of products manufactured, such as ceramic white ware, black glaze porcelain, celadon porcelain, decorative porcelain, low firing san cai (tri-colored) porcelain. And the skill with technique of decoration is also diversified. Besides the commonest black decoration on white ground, incised decoration on white ground, cut decoration on white ground, scoring decoration on pearl ground, and red and green decoration on white ground, even black decoration on green ground and black decoration on peacock green ground came into being initially in Cizhou kiln.

White glaze vase with black decoration and common peony design

Now collected in Shanghai Museum, this piece is fired in Cizhou kiln of the Jin Dynasty (1115--1234). It has small mouth, oblate wall of open-entry, short neck, and plumb shoulders as well as tall and slender base. The base presents a color of yellow; and there are peony designs on it. The peony designs are simple, unsophisticated but graceful; while the lines are smooth, vigorous and pretty.

Cizhou mirror box with lotus design

Now collected in Nanjing Museum, the piece is fired in the Northern Song Dynasty, 12.2cm in height and19.3cm in caliber. The main features are: Black decoration in white ground, large mouth, folded belly, contracting abruptly into small and flat bottom. The cover is in the shape of umbrella, on which interlocking lotus flower designs are painted.

Changsha Kiln Ware
"Dou cai" porcelain