PLATE, Hutian Kiln, qingbai ware, Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE)

A qingbai shadow‑blue plate from the Song dynasty, produced at the Hutian kiln.

Hutian Kiln, in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, was a prominent Song dynasty kiln renowned for producing many yingqing (qingbai) wares: pieces with a white body covered by a highly transparent glaze. Yingqing—also called qingbai—is essentially white in tone, the glaze taking on a delicate blue where it is thicker. It is among the wares that most clearly represent Song-dynasty ceramic production at Jingdezhen.

This plate is shallow and widely open, with a broad well and a low foot. The rim is thin, giving the piece an overall lightness.
The glaze is applied smoothly from the well to the body and, when struck by light, displays a clear bluish‑white tone. The glaze surface shows fine crazing, with traces of iron and red clay visible in places.

The rim is left with exposed clay as a result of a wiping-back (覆焼) treatment. In Song qingbai wares this method was used to fire vessels more efficiently, and examples are known in which the glaze on the rim was wiped away prior to firing. On this piece a narrow band of clay, fired to a pale white, runs around the rim and provides a pleasing contrast with the delicate bluish-white glaze. There are also exposed areas around the footring, where the whiteness of the body and traces of adhering red clay remain.

Thinly formed, it has the lightness characteristic of Song ceramics when held. The shallowly open profile, clear qingbai glaze, fine crackle, and the rim’s exposed clay resulting from the firing combine to create the quiet expression typical of the Hutian kiln. The size is well suited to support a kyusu in sencha service or to serve as a sweets dish.

There are small chips and abrasions to the rim. Soil adhering from the excavation, wear to the glaze surface, and fine crazing are present, but the overall form is well preserved.