Background

The Longquan Kiln boasts as one of the thousands of Chinese ceramic kilns, which has the longest ceramic making history. It was first built during the period of Three Kingdoms and the Eastern and Western Jin dynasties and ended in the late Qing Dynasty, lasting more than 1,600 years. During the Song and the Yuan dynasties, there were many kilns here producing a large number of green porcelain, which were sold at home and abroad. The Longquan Kiln has thus become well-known.

The booming period of the Longquan kiln was in the late Southern Song and the Yuan dynasties, when the quality of green porcelain was greatly raised. Around the year 1200, the advanced ceramic making technique was adopted by the Kiln to produce high-grade porcelain, which was supplied to the imperial families and high-ranking officials. In this period, the ceramic production was pushed to a new height, and varieties were greatly enriched, from living utensils to decorative and sacrificial ceramics. In the Yuan Dynasty, ceramic industry was further developed. Large plates and bowls were produced to meet the need of Mongolian nobles and Muslims in West Asia. In the Ming and the Qing dynasties, the Longquan Kiln gradually declined, but the kiln's product quality was still high in the early stage of Ming Dynasty. The carved kettles collected by the Palace Museum were the representative works of the Longquan Kiln in the Ming Dynasty.

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