Jun Kiln was one of the famous Five Kilns of
the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Discovered in 1951, the site underwent excavations
in 1962 and 1973 that identified the area as a kiln site which made pottery for
the imperial palace. The site flourished during the reign of Emperor Huizong of
the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).
Jun Kiln spreads over a vast area topping
300,000 square meters with densely distributed kilns. It served as a workshop
that was operated by the local government. To date, 11 stoves were unearthed,
including workshop sites and ash pits. The stoves were arranged in a line with
the workshop at the center, ensuring the whole working procedure ran smoothly.
The structure of the stove and baking method facilitated heating control and
enabled the temperature to reach 1,200 C.
Potteries from the site come in many
varieties, such as Jun porcelain, Ru porcelain, Yingqing porcelain, Tianmu
porcelain and others with white backgrounds and black patterns. The wares are
bright and elegantly designed, with a smooth glaze.
The glaze color was also varied, including
sky-blue, pea-green, pale-blue, mauve, dark-blue and off-white hues. Most of the
wares have natural cracks on the surface. Flowerpots come in an array of shapes,
including the sunflower, lotus flower, Chinese flowering crabapple, hexagon,
square and rectangle. Other items include bowls, pots, stoves and earthen bowls.
Jun Kiln made its debut in the early
Northern Song period and flourished in the late Northern Song. It is famous for
its bronze-red glaze, which was an innovation of pottery making in ancient
China. During the Jin (1115-1234)-Yuan (1271-1368) period, workshops around the
country competed to perfect the wares made at the Jun Kiln. The kiln gradually
declined after the Yuan Dynasty and stopped making pottery during the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644). It resumed production after the foundation of the new
China.
Apart from the Juntai Jun Kiln Site, a
number of Jun Kiln sites from the Song Dynasty were discovered in Henan
Province, but they were on a much smaller scale and operated by
locals.