Yue ware
Yue ware is a notable type of ceramics produced in the Yue kilns located in Zhejiang Province, China, during a period of historical disunity following the collapse of the Han Dynasty. Characterized primarily by its greenish glaze, Yue ware is predominantly low-fired, making it softer and more porous compared to high-fired porcelain. The potters of Yue kilns developed a distinctive technique of applying greenish liquid glazes to their creations before firing, which laid the groundwork for the more refined green glazes associated with celadon ceramics. This type of ware includes various items, often utilized for both everyday purposes and funerary contexts. Yue ware ceramics offer insight into the evolving craftsmanship and artistic expressions of ancient Chinese pottery, reflecting cultural and technological advancements of the time. Today, Yue ware holds historical significance and is appreciated for its aesthetic qualities and craftsmanship, serving as an important marker of Chinese ceramic heritage.
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Subject Terms
Yue ware
Related civilization: China.
Also known as: Yüeh ware (Wade-Giles).
Date: 220-589 c.e.
Locale: Zhejiang Province, China
Yue ware
Yue (YEW-eh) ware was a type of ceramics made in Yue kilns in Zhejiang Province, China, in the period of disunity after the collapse of the Han Dynasty (Three Kingdoms, Western and Eastern Jin Dynasties, Southern and Northern Dynasties). In general, ceramics can be divided into two basic categories: low-fired wares (earthenware or pottery), which are relatively soft and porous, suitable for funerary vessels and tomb sculptures, and high-fired wares (porcelain), which are relatively hard, durable, and impervious to water, suitable for everyday use. Most of Yue wares were low-fired wares. Yue ware is distinguished by its greenish glaze. The potters at the Yue kilns learned to apply greenish liquid glazes to their wares before firing. These early greenish glazes gradually developed into the green glazes on wares popularly known as celadon.
Bibliography
Neave-Hill, W. B. R. Chinese Ceramics. Foreword by Sir Harry Garner. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1976.
Rawson, Jessica, ed. The British Museum Book of Chinese Art. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1993.
Valenstein, Suzanne. A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975.