A fine white porcelain fragment with fish and flower patterns from the Yuan Dynasty unearthed from the Huozhou kilns. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By ZONG Shihan

One of China's top 10 new archaeological discoveries of 2023, the porcelain kiln site in Chencun village is located in Huozhou city, north China's Shanxi province. The excavation uncovered eight scattered sites dating back to the Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, with nine kilns and 40 ash pits, as well as a large number of porcelain pieces and kiln utensils. This discovery is the first to clarify the product characteristics of the Huozhou kilns in different periods from an archaeological perspective.

The Huozhou kilns began producing porcelain during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and reached their maturity during the Jin Dynasty, with fine white porcelain as its signature product. These porcelains boast a pure white and delicate body, small but varied shapes, a thin and translucent glaze layer, and a pure glaze color. Their interiors are often adorned with fine raised lines depicting motifs such as water waves, birds, lotus, rabbits, and other animals, which are lively and interesting.

Furthermore, these porcelains bear the markings of different surnames such as "Guo Kiln Porcelain," "Lian Family," and "Guo Qi," reflecting the workshop-based economic form of the kiln industry and a strong sense of brand identity.

During the Yuan Dynasty, the Huozhou kilns produced fine white porcelain of superior quality nationwide. These porcelain have regular shapes, fine trimming, and minimal kiln marks.

By the Ming Dynasty, the production scale of the Huozhou kilns expanded, focusing primarily on daily-use porcelain. The porcelain decoration styles of this period were diverse, such as white porcelain body with brown flowers, and the motifs covered a wide range of simple flowers, figures, pine and bamboo patterns. The painting techniques ranged from fine line drawings to coarse line dots, with both fine brushwork and freehand brushwork coexisting, showcasing the ingenuity of making fine work from coarse materials.

The remarkable achievements in porcelain making of the Huozhou kilns during the Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties not only made significant contributions to the development history of Chinese ceramics but also served as a vivid material carrier for the diverse and integrated process of Chinese culture.