Celadon 青瓷

Celadon 青瓷

Green, Porcelain, Pottery

Celadon was a type of pottery finished off with a pale grayish-green glaze. To give off this effect, the ceramic would be applied with liquified clay rich in iron before being heated up. The iron in the clay would oxidize to unravel its distinct colour. Celadon dates back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) and the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC).

Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) & Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC)

White Porcelain, Blue and White Porcelain, Black Porcelain, Enamel Painted Porcelain

Smooth texture

Craft

Celadon is created using stoneware (or porcelain) and fired in a reduction kiln, one of the reasons being is this has the highest reaction with iron oxide, which is used in the glaze. The ingredients are carefully mixed (as not enough or too much of something can dramatically alter the final outcome).

Some wares were coated with a thin layer of slip containing iron before they were glazed. The method of creating Longquan pottery is incredibly precise (as with all celadon wares) and actually goes through a cycle of six stages of heating and cooling. The temperatures reach a maximum of 1310 degrees Celsius and through the entire process, the firing of the stoneware glazes are carefully controlled.

UNESCO states that in Longquan pottery there are two types of celadon: ‘elder brother’ which has a ‘black finish and a crackle effect’ and the ‘younger brother’ has a ‘thick lavender-grey and plum-green finish’. The rich coloring of traditional celadon comes from the fact it’s fired at very high temperatures, ranging from 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit up to 2,381 degrees Fahrenheit. Goryeo ceramics coloring comes mainly from the type of clay that’s used, as typically there’s a lot of iron in the clay, plus ‘iron oxide and manganese oxide and quartz particles in the glaze’.

Ceramic

It possesses a similar color to jade, and gained high prices both at home and aboard. Before blue and white porcelain took center stage, celadon was highly recognized by the Chinese imperial court.