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

A Song Dynasty shadow-blue celadon bowl from the Hutian kiln.

The Hutian Kiln, a Song-dynasty workshop representative of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province, produced many yingqing wares—qingbai porcelains in which a transparent bluish-white glaze is applied over a white body. Yingqing, also called qingbai, is characterized by a faint blue tinge where the glaze is thicker. This example is a somewhat large bowl, with the bluish glaze well preserved on both the interior and exterior.

The vessel is bowl-shaped with a broadly flaring rim. The interior is wide, gently narrowing from the shoulder toward the footring and rests on a low footring. The rim diameter is approximately 17.7cm, making it slightly larger than the preceding bowl and giving it a generous spread. Concentric rings encircle the well, providing a subtle division within the broad interior.

The interior is smoothly coated with a shadow-blue glaze, presenting a pale bluish‑white tone. The glaze surface shows fine crazing, with specks of iron staining and traces of soil remaining. Overall the bluish hue is well developed, and when caught by light the glaze reveals a translucent quality and a soft luster.

The rim is left exposed by overfiring, revealing a narrow band of reddish clay that encircles the mouth. The contrast between the exposed rim and the bluish-white glaze sharpens the contours of the broadly flared form. A gray-blue glaze also covers the exterior, and wheel-throwing marks remain around the body.

Relatively wide for a tea bowl, its form is well suited to receiving a teapot when serving sencha or Chinese tea. It is also fairly deep and could readily be regarded as a dish for sweets.

The rim and glazed surfaces exhibit age-related wear—old chips, abrasion, glaze crazing, and adherent soil. As an excavated Song-dynasty ceramic, the vessel’s overall form is well preserved.