Scott No: 3187-90
Serial number: 2002-6
Values in set: 4
Denomination: 5.00 yuan
Date of issue: 30th March 2002
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of stamp: 40*30 mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 19
Printing process: offset
Printer: Henan Post & Telecommunication Printing Works

The stamp set is cataloged as 2002-6, titled Chinese Ceramics – Ru Kiln Porcelain. It was issued on March 30, 2002. The set consists of four stamps in an offset edition printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory. The designer is Wang Huming. The total face value is 5 yuan. Each stamp measures 40×30 mm, with a perforation gauge of 12 degrees. Each sheet contains 19 stamps.

The Ru Kiln ranks first among the five great kilns of the Song Dynasty and is known as the "chief of the kilns." The kiln site is located in ancient Ruzhou, in the area of present-day Qingliangsi, Baofeng, Henan. It produced imperial porcelain exclusively for the Northern Song court. Ru ware is characterized by its sky-blue glaze, often with ice-crackle patterns. It was fired using the fully glazed, spur-supported technique, leaving small spur marks on the base. Because the firing period was short and the kiln was destroyed in the wars at the end of the Northern Song, very few Ru ware pieces survive. There are only about seventy surviving pieces worldwide, each extremely precious. This stamp set features four Northern Song Ru ware national treasures from the Palace Museum collection, showcasing the elegant and restrained aesthetics of Ru porcelain.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Northern Song – Zun

This vessel is also known as the three-legged zun with string patterns. It is a relatively large display piece among surviving Ru ware, with the original now housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing. The body is cylindrical, with several raised string patterns on the exterior, supported by three stylized beast legs. Its form draws on the style of Han Dynasty bronze zun. The entire piece is covered in a warm sky-blue glaze, even and restrained, with spur marks visible on the base. The Ru zun is a court display porcelain, not a daily practical vessel. It reflects the Northern Song imperial court's preference for simple, classical elegance and is a rare large surviving Ru ware piece.

Northern Song – Three-Legged Brush Washer

The three-legged washer is a Northern Song scholar's vessel, used as a brush washer. The body is shallow and wide, supported by three small beast-shaped legs. The interior and exterior are fully covered in sky-blue glaze, with fine ice-crackle patterns throughout. The Ru three-legged washer is a classic Song Dynasty scholar's object. Its form is simple and rounded, without elaborate decoration, relying on the glaze color and form itself. It fully embodies the Song porcelain aesthetic of pursuing simplicity and serenity and is a widely recognized representative Ru ware object.

Northern Song – Bowl

This Ru bowl is a court daily-use vessel. It has a flared rim, curved belly, and a slightly outward-flaring foot ring. The body is thin and delicate. The entire piece is covered in a pale sky-blue glaze with natural crackle patterns. The glaze is lustrous and translucent. The lines of the Ru bowl are soft and flowing, with no superfluous carving, relying on the texture of the glaze. The Northern Song court had strict requirements for imperial porcelain. This vessel represents the highest standard of Ru ware daily-use porcelain, fully displaying the refined aesthetic of the Song people.

Northern Song – Dish

This Ru dish is one of the larger surviving Ru dishes. It has an open mouth, shallow belly, and outward-flaring foot ring. It is fully glazed and spur-supported, with five spur marks on the base. The glaze color is pure, and the ice-crackle patterns are clear and natural. The form is regular and grand. Ru dishes were mostly used for court display or as fruit dishes. The simple and elegant form fully presents the warm texture of Ru ware's sky-blue glaze, making it a model of standard Ru imperial ware.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamps use offset printing, delicately reproducing Ru ware's signature sky-blue glaze color and ice-crackle details, expressing the jade-like warmth of the glaze. The stamps use a horizontal format, with each piece of porcelain presented individually. The background uses a deep, dark gray tone to set off the pale blue glaze of Ru ware and highlight the main subject. The designs use a realistic still-life style, accurately reproducing the vessel outlines, glaze textures, and spur details without adding extraneous decoration. The stamp set has a unified style, using minimalist visual expression to interpret the timeless glaze color of Ru ware, described as "the blue of the sky after rain when the clouds break," and showcasing the restrained, understated Eastern aesthetics of Song Dynasty imperial kiln porcelain.