Page 70 - Classical Chinese Ceramics Vol 2 June 2016

reign (1138) Lin’an was officially designated Emperor Gaozong’s fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
‘temporary residence’, reflecting the hope that one day the Song （圖一）北京故宮博物院藏品
would regain northern China and the court would move back to
the northern capital at Kaifeng. The Lin’an imperial palace was fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
built on the lower slopes of Phoenix Hill on the northern side. （圖二）北京故宮博物院藏品

When the Song court ‘crossed the river’, that is fled to Hangzhou, 起初，南宋朝廷應屬意越 窯燒製官瓷，這是因為浙江越 窯
the products of the northern kilns were no longer available to its 歷史悠久，北宋初年其製成品在宮中風行一時，所以此舉堪
members, and by all accounts they were unable to bring many 稱意料中事。奈何最後的成果未如理想，故杭州官窯終於在
vessels with them on their journey south. Huge quantities of Song 1144年正式成立。史籍曾提及兩個官窯，一處為郊壇下官窯，
imperial treasures had also been taken by the Jin troops when they 考古學家早於1930年代已確定其窯址位於杭州市郊烏龜山。
returned to their northern homeland in 1127. The famous and 其後，該址曾多次進行發掘工作，其中又以1980年代的檢測
revered Ru wares made for the Northern Song Emperor Huizong 和發掘最曠日持久、鉅細無遺。但除此之外，文獻中還提到一
would have been in short supply at the Southern Song court. It 個年代更早的窯口，即修內司官窯，但其窯址要到1996年始
is also worth bearing in mind that while ceramic vessels were 有定論。雖然如此，大家一直視之為極品官瓷的出處。
not the main type used in imperial ritual during the Northern 關於修內司窯，最膾炙人口的記述來自陶宗儀 (1316-1403年)
Song period, the lack of vessels in materials such as bronze meant 的兩本著作，但二者內容大同小異：其一是陶氏編修及身後
that the Southern Song court probably had to replace some 出版的《說郛》，書中引述了南宋作家顧文薦《負暄雜錄》的
ritual vessels with ceramic wares. Thus new kilns to provide fine 記載；其二是《輟耕錄》，其引文來自南宋葉寘著作《坦齋筆
ceramics for both ritual and daily use by the court had to be 衡》：「中興渡江，有邵成章提舉後苑，號邵局，襲故京遺制，
found. It is significant that a number of objects in the form of 置窯於修內司，造青器，名內窯，澄泥為花，極其精製，釉色
ritual vessels have been found at the Guan kilns. In part this would 瑩澈，為世 所 珍，後 郊 壇 下別立 新窯，比舊窯大不侔矣。」中
have been archaism in response to Emperor Huizong interest in 國的考古學家現已在老虎洞找到了修內司窯遺址，該處距鳳
antiquities and the publication of the illustrated catalogues of his 凰山南宋皇城北面城墻不足一百米。
ancient bronze collection, much of which had been removed 上述關於修內司窯成立的記載，後世文獻多有提及，但據現
from Kaifeng and taken north by the Jurchen. It is also probable
that some of these fine ceramic gu, lei, and gui were used by the
Southern Song court in ritual, in place of bronze vessels.

Not surprisingly, the first impulse of the Southern Song court
appears to have been to try to have official ceramics made at the
Yue ware 越窯 kilns, which had long been established in Zhejiang
province and had found favour at the northern court in the early
Song period. However, this does not seem to have been a success,
and in around 1144 imperial kilns were specifically set up in
Hangzhou. Two kiln sites producing Guan (official) wares are
mentioned in the texts. One of these is the 郊壇下 Jiaotanxia
(Beneath the Sacrificial Altar) kiln, which was located by
archaeologists on 烏龜山 Wuguishan (Turtle Hill) in the suburbs
of Hangzhou in the 1930s. Several periods of excavation were
undertaken, culminating in a sustained and thorough examination
and excavation of the site in the 1980s. However, an earlier kiln is
mentioned in literature, and has traditionally been credited with
the finest Guan ware: this is the 修內司 Xiuneisi (The Palace
Maintenance Office) kiln, which was not located until 1996.

A famous reference to the Xiuneisi kiln appears in similar form
in both the 說郛 Shuofu, compiled by 陶宗儀 Tao Zongyi
(1316-1403), but published after his death, quoting the Southern
Song writer 顧文薦 Gu Wenjian’s 負暄雜錄 Fuxuan zalu
(Miscellaneous Records from Under the Sun), and the 輟耕錄
Chuogeng lu (Idle Notes), also by Tao Zongyi, quoting another
Southern Song author, 葉寘 Ye Zhi’s 坦齋筆衡 Tanzhai biheng
(Notes from the Tranquil Study):

“After the capital was transferred across the river, Shao Chengzhang
was placed in charge of production in the Rear Park, which came
to be known as the Shao Bureau and carried on the traditions
of the old capital. A kiln was established under the Xiuneisi to
make green wares, called neiyao [inner ware], made using fine clay
moulds to produce an exquisite ware. The colour is clear and
translucent, and they are greatly valued today. Later another kiln
was set up at Jiaotanxia, but the wares made there could not be
compared with those from the old kiln”.

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