Identification of Yue Kiln Porcelain
The identification of porcelain is a science and one of the components of ancient artifacts. In the archaeological excavations of ancient tombs, ancient sites and ancient kiln sites, a large number of porcelain products from various kiln sites were unearthed, including objects of relative and absolute ages, which provided us with standard instruments for identification. According to archaeological excavation data and porcelain products in scattered cultural relics, five essentials should be mastered in identifying artifacts: shape, pattern, glaze color, firing technology and inscription. These five elements should be organically combined. Since 1950s, systematic scientific and technological research on ancient ceramics has been gradually carried out. Similar to the mid-1950s, the China Ancient Ceramics Research Group was established in the Metallurgical Ceramics Research Institute of China Academy of Sciences, which later became the Shanghai Silicate Research Institute of China Academy of Sciences. Since 1980s, scientific and technological detection means have been formally involved in the identification of ancient ceramics. Feng, research librarian of the Department of Ancient Relics of the Palace Museum, member of the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee, specializes in ancient ceramics. She told reporters that there are many technical appraisals of ancient ceramics, including composition determination and dating.
"Technical appraisal is helpful to the appraisal of ancient ceramics." Feng pointed out that the Palace Museum purchased a batch of instruments when the Ceramic Research Center was established in 2005, and they have been applied to the appraisal of ancient ceramics in the past two years. Since the previous year, as a part of the research project of official kiln porcelain in Song Dynasty, they have completed the analysis and testing of more than 50 ceramic cultural relics by using nondestructive testing instruments. "This is helpful for the study of the Forbidden City kiln. Through the use of instruments, it is found that some official kiln components belong to Henan. Academics have always thought it was the official kiln of the Southern Song Dynasty, but it should be produced in the north of the Northern Song Dynasty near Henan. Traditional expert experience appraisal is more based on personal experience and experience. In the case of establishing a standard system, the evaluators are compared and evaluated. After long-term contact with a large number of ancient ceramic standards, the appraiser has established a database in his mind, which contains the essential laws of ancient ceramics in different times and different kiln mouths. Therefore, the length of contact with the "standard device" and the amount of contact become the key to identification.
Moreover, technical appraisal also needs actual combat accumulation and database establishment. "Because China's technical appraisal started late, the database accumulated little, and there are also shortcomings. In contrast, the detection of Oxford University started early, and the database accumulated more, which is relatively more credible. " Feng told reporters that in the case that both identification methods are insufficient, the most reliable thing is to comprehensively use the two identification methods.
The lotus petal pattern of celadon in Yue kiln appeared in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty, which blended foreign cultures and formed the unique artistic style of the Chinese nation, making celadon in Yue kiln more gorgeous and dazzling, leaving a glorious page in the history of world culture.