Page 7 - Longsdorf Collection of Song Ceramics, 2013, J.J. Lally, New York

not just the one(s) for which it is famous. Of course this was accomplished
with varying degrees of success. In the end, the best Jizhou or a Jian tea bowls
are unique works of art which no other kiln could produce as well. Even as

close as the neighboring kiln of Yulinting was to the Jianyao kiln site, the style
and decoration and quality of their tea bowls is quite different. (No. 39)
Although it is a period famous for the simplicity of its aesthetic, the Song
dynasty is represented by an extraordinarily varied and complex group of
ceramics; and with every newly discovered kiln site, the subject becomes that
much more complicated. There are so many approaches to a study of Song

ceramics: the aesthetics of form, line, glaze and color, the chemistry behind
the ware and glazes, the technologies employed to combine and refine raw
materials as well as kiln architecture, firing techniques, and more. It is an
overwhelming history, and the more I learn, the more the vast scale of the

subject is revealed, progressively diminishing what little I do know. But no
matter how complex the study becomes, the simple and immediate experience
of gazing at and handling these wonderful ceramics remains for me a uniquely
rewarding and satisfying experience.

Ronald W. Longsdorf
January 2013