Celadon Ware
Celadon is the term used for pottery that are glazed in a jade green colour, also known as greenware. Celadon was already present from the 1st Century AD, although those earlier proto-celadon wares tended to be brown or yellow.
For many centuries celadon wares were highly regarded in Chinese Imperial courts. The similarity to the colour jade, the most highly valued material in China, was a large part of the attraction. The colour is produced by firing a glaze containing iron oxide at a high temperature in a reducing kiln. “True” celadon requires a minimum of 1,260 degrees Celsius furnace temperature. The method originated at the beginning of the Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127AD). The most famous and desired shades ranged from very pale green to deep intense green mimicking the shade of jade.
After the capital moved to the South during the Southern Song Dynasty, Longquan celadon wares thrived in the Zhejiang province. Longquan celadon wares were exported throughout Asia and the Middle East during the 13th to 15th Centuries and were highly prized items. Its worth was increased by a belief in the Middle East and Europe that the celadon wares would break or change colour if poison was placed on them. The Longquan production area is one of the largest historical ceramic producing areas in China and “Longquan type” is increasingly preferred as a term for “southern celadon “ wares.
At Ghorbany Benmore we have a highly collectible Longquan celadon plate dating from the 14th Century with BADA stamp of authenticity.