Ru Ware Celadon: A Masterpiece of the Song Dynasty

Ru ware, named after its ancient kiln site in Ruzhou (present-day Henan province, China), is renowned for its production of celadon. The glaze of its celadon is acclaimed as the “Sky-blue color,” likened to “the blue of the sky in a clearing amongst the clouds after rain,” making it a pinnacle of ancient Chinese celadon. The celadon glaze of Ru ware is clear, exquisite, and crystalline, harmonizing the elegance of celadon with the warmth of jade, perfectly aligning with the aesthetic taste of literati in the Song Dynasty. As a result, Ru ware is celebrated as the foremost among the Five Great Kilns.

The celadon wares of Ru ware encompass various forms, including bowls, plates, bottles, washers, cups, narcissus basins, and vessels, characterized by their simple and smooth designs, with elegant lines. The glaze surface is smooth as a mirror, displaying a deep and even color, imparting a sense of tranquility and elegance. Despite the relatively short production period of Ru ware and the scarcity in quantity due to limited production, Ru ceramics have become treasures among ancient Chinese ceramics.

Ru ceramics are renowned for their pure and elegant aesthetics, often regarded as the epitome of celadon. What sets Ru ware apart is the exquisite and crystalline elegance of its glaze. The predominant color of Ru ware glaze is sky-blue, encompassing shades like azure, powdered green, and moon white. The glaze is thick and lustrous, displaying a richness of color akin to piled fat, with a nourishing jade-like quality.

The body of Ru ceramics is relatively thin and exhibits a fragrant gray hue. Employing the “support pin firing” technique during the firing process results in small pin marks on the base, achieving the sought-after effect of complete glazing without revealing the body. The glaze of Ru ceramics features fine crackle patterns known as “crackling.” This phenomenon in ceramic glaze occurs due to the differing properties and expansion coefficients of the glaze material and the body during the firing process, leading to the formation of cracks.

In the Ming Dynasty, Cao Zhao’s “Essentials of Ancient Ceramics” stated about Ru ceramics: “Those with crab claw patterns are authentic, but those without patterns are even better,” underscoring the appreciation standards for Ru ware. Among the four Ru ware celadon narcissus basins housed in the National Palace Museum, one is a pattern-free masterpiece. This pattern-free narcissus basin, with four cloud-shaped feet, is fired using the full glaze support pin technique. The overall application of sky-blue glaze gives the basin a slightly subdued grayish tone. From the outer bottom, six delicate pin marks are visible, revealing the exposed beige body color at the points of pin contact. The overall glaze surface remains pure, free from crackle patterns.

In essence, Song ceramics inherited and advanced the firing techniques of their predecessors, pushing the boundaries of ceramic firing and decorative methods. Among the exemplars of Song celadon, Ru ceramics distinguish themselves with an exceptionally simple yet distinctive style. Ru ware not only presents a diverse array of vessel shapes and firing techniques but also, with its distinctive crackling and crystal-clear glaze, is hailed as a significant milestone in the evolution of Chinese celadon. Characterized by its gentle, ethereal, and refined qualities, Ru ceramics have indelibly shaped the trajectory of Chinese ceramic art, standing as an enduring masterpiece imbued with profound cultural significance.