Page 71 - Classical Chinese Ceramics Vol 2 June 2016

Chinese archaeologists have now found the site of the Xiuneisi fig. 3 The current lot illustrated in the 1954 Venetian exhibition
kiln at 老虎洞 Laohudong (Tiger Cave) less than 100 metres from catalogue Mostra d’arte Cinese
the northern wall of the imperial palace of the Southern Song
emperors on Phoenix Hill. （圖三）本拍品著錄於 1954 年威尼斯展覽圖錄

In reference to this much quoted text regarding the setting 代學者沙孟海考證，內侍邵成章雖於徽宗 (1101-25年) 朝中
up of the Xiuneisi kiln, a modern scholar, Sha Menghai, has 任官，但被罷免後流放至南雄州，自此不曾還朝，詳見沙孟海
discovered that, although the eunuch 卲成章 Shao Chengzhang 於《考古與文物》1985年6號刊發表的<南宋官窯修內司窯址
was an official under the Huizong emperor (AD 1101-25), he was 問題的商榷>。由此推論，邵成章不可能是開辦南宋官窯的功
dismissed from office, exiled to 南雄州 Nanxiongzhou, and did 臣。但一直以來，學者皆假定修內司窯的成立早於郊壇下窯，
not return to the court (沙孟海Sha Menghai, 南宋官窯修內司 而且其作品確實勝於後者。我們若比較一下館藏文物，以及
窯址問題的商榷 ’Nan Song guanyao Xiuneisi yao zhi wenti de 老虎洞與郊壇下窯的出土標本，似乎亦與此說相符。
shangque’ (On the Question of the Site of the Southern Song
Xiuneisi Guan Ware Kiln), Kaogu yu Wenwu, 1985, no. 6.) He was 潛說友曾奉南宋度宗 (1265-74年) 之命編撰《咸淳臨安志》，
therefore unlikely to have been responsible for the imperial kiln 書中載 有一幅杭州鳳 凰山南宋皇城圖。圖中近宮墻 東 北面，
in the Southern Song period. Traditionally, however, it has been 有 兩處 書「修內司營」四字，修內司以「營」為編制，亦 軍 亦
assumed that the Xiuneisi kiln was set up before that at Jiaotanxia, 工。圖中所 示方位，亦 與老虎 洞位 置 及 文 獻中記 述 的修內司
and did produce the higher quality ware. This seems to be born 窯址大致脗合。1996至2002年期間，老虎洞出土了五個地層，
out by comparisons made between some of the pieces surviving 最 上 層為近代 遺存，第二 層為元 代 遺存，第三及 第四層的斷
in museum collections and the material excavated from the 代為南宋，第五層為北宋。至於兩個南宋地層的出土陶瓷，皆
Laohudong and Jiaotanxia kilns. 符合文獻中關於修內司官窯器物的描述。

A map of the Southern Song Imperial Palace on Phoenix Hill in 顧文薦在《負暄雜錄》中指出，出自修內司窯的官瓷除了做工
Hangzhou, was included in a gazetteer, 咸淳臨安志 精妙，部份還有「蟹爪紋」和「紫口鐵足」。就立燒而成的器
物，窯燒前必須擦掉器足的釉料，以致含鐵豐富的深色胎土
‘Gazetteer of Lin’an during the Xianchun Period’, commissioned 外露，此乃「鐵足」；另外，口沿因流釉而釉層偏薄，胎土隱約
by the Southern Song Emperor Duzong (宋度宗1265-74), and 外露，故名「紫口」。《負暄雜錄》還提到，修內司窯的精製陶
compiled by 潛說友 Qian Shuoyou. On this map, near the 瓷與汝瓷如出一轍，詳見顧文薦《負暄雜錄》卷十八 (涵芬樓
north eastern wall of the palace, two groups of four characters
appear. These characters read 修內司營 Xiuneisi ying, which
should roughly translate as Xiuneisi camp, but could also translate
at Xiuneisi administration. The position of these areas ties in
quite well with the position of the Laohudong kiln and with
the descriptions of the location of the Xiuneisi kiln found in
literature. During excavations carried out at Laohudong between
1996 and 2002 five strata have been excavated - the top stratum
being modern, the second dating to the Yuan dynasty, the third
and fourth dating to the Southern Song and the fifth dating to
the Northern Song period. The excavated ceramics from the
two Southern Song strata conform to the descriptions found in
literature of Xiuneisi Guan wares.

The Fuxuan zalu by Gu Wenjian notes that, in addition to being
very fine, some of the Guan wares made at the Xiuneisi kiln had
‘claw-marks’ and ‘purple mouth and iron foot’ zikou tiezu 紫口
鐵足. This latter feature is due to the use of dark, iron rich, clay
which is revealed when the foot of a vessel is wiped clean of glaze
to allow the vessel to be fired standing on its foot, and which
shows through where the glaze runs thin at the rim of the mouth.
It is also stated in Fuxuan zalu that the very refined ceramics from
the Xiuneisi kiln were rather similar to the pieces made at the Ru
kilns (Gu Wenjian, Fuxuan zalu, juan 18, Han Fen Lou edition).
These remarks are reiterated in the 格古要論 Gegu yaolun
(Essential Criteria of Antiquities) by 曹昭 Cao Zhao published in
AD 1388 (Published in translation with facsimile of the Chinese
text by Sir Percival David as Chinese Connoisseurship: The Ko Ku
Yao Lun,The Essential Criteria of Antiquities, London, 1971), which
says of Guan wares:

“... those made at Song Xiuneisi are of fine, smooth clay, are blue
with a pinkish hue and uneven tone, they have ‘crab’s claw’ crackle,
purple mouth and iron foot, and at best their colour is the same
as Ru wares.’ These features, including the link with Northern
Song Ru wares, have been found in the ceramics excavated from

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