Anantiqueporcelainplate.PorcelainemergedinChinaasearlyastheShangDynasty(1600-1046B.C.),makingittheworld鈥檚earliestporcelain-producingcountrybyfar.PorcelainisnotonlyaprofoundinventionofancientChinesepeople,butalsoapowerfulcontributiontohumancivilizationfromtheChinesenation.
Sincethe17thcentury,Chineseporcelainhasbeentransportedaroundtheworldbysea,andChinagainedareputationas鈥渢hecountryofporcelain,鈥漵omuchsothatthematerialiscalled鈥渃hina鈥漣nmanyEnglish-speakingcountries.
TheSongDynasty(960-1279)fosteredaboomintheancientChineseporcelainindustry,duringwhichtimeporcelainkilnswereconstructedacrossthecountry.Withcontrastingstronglocalflavors,theGuan,Ru,Ge,DingandJunkilnsweredubbedthe鈥淔iveFamousKilns鈥漮fChinaatthattime.
CompiledfromthemanuscriptswrittenbyMs.FanDongqing,oneoftheearliestdiscoverersoftheRuKiln,thebookDeconstructingChineseAntiquePorcelaindescribesthestyles,featuresandidentificationtipsof13representativeancientceramickilnsintheTang(618-907)andSongdynastiesincludingthe鈥淔iveFamousKilns.鈥漈hepublicationalsoincludespicturesfromvariousaspectsofdiscoveredpieces,historicaldocuments,archaeologicalmaterialsandexcavationwork.Apaintedpowderboxwithplantpatterns.
Abrown-glazedantiqueporcelainwarefromtheShanxiKiln.
Apaintedvasewithcrabappleflowerandbirdpatterns.
AjarwithcarveddesignsfromtheCizhouKiln,datingbacktotheSongDynasty(960-1279),20.5cminheight.ItshouldbenotedthattheporcelainincenseburnerwithalidintheshapeofadeerholdingaLingzhimushroom(Ganodermalucidum)featuredonthecoverofthisbookisownedbyaprivatecollectorinBeijingandhadneverbeforebeendisplayedtothepublic.ThepiecehasonlybeenpartiallycataloguedaspartofthecollectionofthePalaceMuseuminBeijing.
Thepublisherofthebookhasalsocreateda720-degree3DinteractivepanoramicimagetoenablereaderstoenjoytheexquisitewareindetailbyscanningaQRcodeonthecover.
LuChenglong,aresearchlibrarian,deputychiefoftheAntiqueUtensilDepartmentofthePalaceMuseumanddirectoroftheChineseSocietyforAncientCeramics,pennedtheprefaceofthebook,inwhichhecalleditanauthoritativeandcrediblesourceonancientChineseporcelain.
HealsonotedthatMs.Fanhasbeenstudyingporcelainformostofherlifeandproducedamassivevolumeofnotesandmanuscriptsthroughhardwork.Therefore,thebookisnotonlyinformativebutalsoeasytounderstand,makingitwellworthreadingandstudying.
FanDongqingwasformerlydirectoroftheCeramicResearchDepartmentandresearchlibrarianattheShanghaiMuseumandremainsamemberoftheShanghaiCulturalRelicsIdentificationCommittee.ShenowservesasaconsultantwiththeShanghaiOfficeofChinaGuardianAuctionsCo.,Ltd.andaninvitedexpertwithanartauctionprogramoftheChinaBusinessNetworkundertheShanghaiMediaGroup.
WhilelivingintheUnitedStatesinthe1990s,sheworkedasaconsultantfortheChineseArtDepartmentatSotheby鈥檚,chiefappraiseroftheOrientalistArtDepartmentatChristie鈥檚inNewYorkandspecialresearcherattheBrooklynMuseum,theFreerGalleryofArtinWashingtonandtheUniversityofMarylandArtGallery.
鈥淭hisbookendsattheSongDynasty,buttherearesomanymorestoriesrelatedtoancientChineseporcelainthatImustcontinuetosharethem,鈥滷ansaid.