Scott No: 2948-51
Serial number: 1999-3
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: April 8, 1999
Designers: Wang Huming
Size: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 40
Printing process: gravure

The special stamp set Chinese Ceramics – Jun Kiln Porcelain was issued on April 8, 1999. It consists of four stamps with a total face value of 5.30 yuan. It was designed by Wang Huming and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works using the photogravure process. The Jun Kiln ranks among the five great kilns of the Song Dynasty. The kiln site is located in Yuzhou, Henan. It is famous for its magical kiln-transmuted glazes and has long been praised with the saying, "One color entering the kiln, ten thousand colors emerging." The stamp set features four national treasure Jun porcelain pieces from the Northern Song and Yuan dynasties, presenting the development of Jun porcelain from imperial ware of the Song court to important folk vessels of the Yuan Dynasty. It is an important set in the Chinese ceramics stamp series.

Jun Kiln was first fired in the Tang Dynasty and reached its peak in the late Northern Song Dynasty. It is a representative of the northern celadon system. Jun porcelain uses copper as a coloring agent, producing ever-changing kiln-transmuted colors through high-temperature firing. The glaze often features the unique "earthworm walking through mud" pattern. Since ancient times, there has been a saying: "Even with ten thousand strings of cash, it is not as good as one piece of Jun porcelain." The stamp set selects two Northern Song imperial Jun porcelain pieces and two Yuan Dynasty Jun Kiln masterpieces. Through Jun porcelain treasures of different eras and vessel forms, it presents the shape aesthetics, kiln-transmuted glazes, and firing techniques of Jun porcelain, highlighting the superb wisdom and craftsmanship of ancient Chinese porcelain makers.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Northern Song – Chuji Zun

The main image is a Northern Song moon-white glazed chuji zun. Its form imitates an ancient bronze zun, with regular flanges on the body and a warm, even glaze. This vessel was used for imperial display in the Northern Song court. It is a national treasure of Jun porcelain in the Palace Museum collection. Its form is dignified and grand, representing the highest standard of Northern Song Jun Kiln imperial porcelain.

Northern Song – Zun

The stamp features a Northern Song Jun Kiln rose-purple glazed zun. The body is full and substantial, with a kiln-transmuted glaze of intertwined purple and red. This vessel is a classic flower pot type of Song Dynasty Jun Kiln, used exclusively for planting flowers and display in imperial gardens. The kiln-transmuted colors are rich and varied, fully displaying the unique color charm of Jun porcelain.

Yuan – Double-Eared Censer

The stamp features a Yuan Dynasty Jun Kiln double-eared censer, commonly known as the "Little Song Self-Made Incense Burner." The censer body is massive and large, with an inscription. This national treasure, unearthed in Inner Mongolia, breaks the traditional perception that "Jun ware does not exceed one chi." It is a large Yuan Dynasty Jun Kiln masterpiece, bearing witness to the transformation of Jun porcelain from the court to the common people.

Yuan – Double-Eared Vase with Integrated Stand

The stamp features a Yuan Dynasty Jun Kiln double-eared vase with an integrated stand. The vase body and base are connected as one, with a complex and upright form and a glaze of alternating blue and purple. It is a large Yuan Dynasty Jun Kiln display porcelain. Its grand form reflects the vigorous and unrestrained artistic style of Yuan Dynasty Jun Kiln.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses actual artifacts as prototypes. The background is simple and elegant, highlighting the porcelain itself and fully reproducing the kiln-transmuted glazes and three-dimensional outlines of the vessels. The photogravure printing provides delicate color layers, accurately reproducing the rich glazes of moon white, rose purple, and sky blue. The four vessels span the Song and Yuan dynasties, with different forms. Each vessel has its own appearance, systematically presenting the artistic character of Jun porcelain at different stages. It is a classic work in the category of ancient ceramic stamps.