Introduction

Infinite Purity and Beauty-the Single Colour Glazed Porcelain Exhibition

In all ages, single-colour glazed porcelain has been an important category of Chinese porcelain, representing the most traditional Chinese aesthetic concept. Pure and elegant single-colour glazed porcelain greatly won chinese ancient royalties' and literati's appreciation.

After more than a thousand of year's development, single-colour glazed porcelain thrives today. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, mature celadon, brown porcelain and early white porcelain were fired in southern China. Subsequently, the techniques of firing white porcelain were lost, black porcelain was created based on brown porcelain, and celadon flourished and was introduced to the north in the late Southern Dynasty. The techniques of firing celadon were greatly improved in the northern part of China, which paved the way to create mature white porcelain, gradually, the situation of "Southern Celadon and Northern White Porcelain" was formed during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. In Tang Dynasty, there were green porcelain, yellow porcelain and red porcelain, the green porcelain kept developing, and the techniques of firing yellow porcelain were lost and innovated in Ming Dynasty. The red glaze was accidentally fired, and the firing technology was mastered in the Yuan Dynasty. During Ming and Qing Dynasties, single-colour glazed porcelain ushered in the peak of development, and glaze varieties emerged one after another.

Looking back at the development of single-colour glazed porcelain, the firing techniques have been inherited and innovated, while there have been setbacks and losses. The process is complex and tortuous, reflecting the wisdom and arduousness of the Chinese porcelain craftsmen in promoting the evolution of glaze colour. In the infinite purity and beauty of glaze, the brilliance and glory of Chinese civilization are shining.