Xing kiln firing technique

Hebei
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The kiln sites of Xing Kiln are mainly distributed in Lincheng County and Neiqiu County of Xingtai City, Hebei Province. Neiqiu belonged to Xingzhou in the Tang Dynasty, so it was called Xing Kiln. Xing Kiln is a famous porcelain kiln in ancient my country, famous for its creation of fine white porcelain that is "similar to snow" and "similar to silver". Xing Kiln white porcelain began in the Sui Dynasty. Its successful firing ended the situation in which celadon dominated the world in my country since the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. It was on par with celadon represented by Yue Kiln, competing for beauty and forming the two major systems of "Southern Cyan and Northern White" in the Tang Dynasty, laying the foundation for the rise of white porcelain and the development of painted porcelain after the Tang Dynasty. Xing Kiln had formed its own system by the middle and late Tang Dynasty, and competed with Yue Kiln celadon. The porcelain produced by Xing and Yue Kilns, one white and one blue, is located in the south and the north, representing the two major mainstreams of porcelain production in the Tang Dynasty. Xing kiln porcelain was very common at that time, mostly used for tea sets. People in the Tang Dynasty were very particular about drinking tea, and required the color of tea sets to be harmonious and unified with the color of tea. Lu Yu wrote in "The Classic of Tea" that "Xingzhou porcelain is white, and tea is red". Tea and Xing porcelain are red and white, which is particularly pleasing to the eye. Xing kiln became a famous kiln in the Tang Dynasty with its rich product variety, solid and delicate body, and exquisite decoration techniques. Its product variety involved all areas of people's lives. In addition to supplying to the court, it was also exported to more than a dozen countries and regions such as Egypt, India, Syria, Japan, Iran, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. In the Song Dynasty, although a small amount of tribute was still produced, its porcelain production scale could not be compared with that of the Tang Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, only some folk porcelain was fired, and no fine products appeared. The body of Xing kiln white porcelain is hard and thin, the sound is clear and pleasant when knocked, the glaze is smooth, the glaze color is white and even, clean, and slightly flashes blue-gray or light yellow, and it is known as "silver and snow". Compared with the jade-like ice of Yue kiln celadon, it is also unique. The white porcelain of Xing kiln is simple and generous, with very few decorations, but there are also many patterns of mold pressing, pinching and combing, which are very simple. There are many daily utensils such as bowls, pots, saucers, bottles, jars, bowls, boxes, porcelain figurines, etc., which are exquisite and brilliant. The shape of Xing kiln focuses on the practicality of utensils, with simple and refined lines, simple and sharp, and has a simple and natural natural interest. Xing kiln is relatively mature in firing technology and process treatment, and rarely deforms due to over-firing, so it is deeply loved by literati and ordinary people. According to Li Zhao's "National History Supplement" in the Tang Dynasty, "Neiqiu white porcelain cups and Duanxi purple stone inkstones are used by everyone in the world regardless of their status." The Xing kiln transparent white porcelain successfully fired in the Sui Dynasty is an important milestone in the history of Chinese ceramics. This discovery fills a blank in the history of Chinese ceramics. The body of Xingyao transparent white porcelain is firm and fine, the glaze is white, smooth and crystal, the porosity is low, and the shadow transparency is strong. It is in no way inferior to the body and glaze of modern high-grade fine white porcelain. Research has found that two very hard spinal raw materials, potassium long and quartz, are added to the body and glaze of this white porcelain. This phenomenon is a unique case in the history of ancient Chinese ceramics and has high scientific research value and cultural value.

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