LUNG-CH'AN WARE

Pinyin Longquan, celadon stoneware produced in kilns in the town of Lung-Ch'an (province of Chekiang), China, from the Sung to the Ch'ing dynasty (roughly from the 11th to the 19th century). Early Lung-ch'an celadons have a transparent green glaze, superb in quality, thick, and viscous, usually with a well-marked crackle. The most frequent surviving examples are large dishes, for which there was a thriving export trade, in part because of the superstition that a celadon dish would break or change colour if poisoned food were put into it. Bowls and large vases, both of which are rare, were also made with this glaze. Decoration is usually incised but can also be molded. The more finely potted wares are the rarest and often the oldest. The heavier varieties were intended to withstand the rigours of transport to overseas markets.