Song Dynasty green glazed (high temperature) vase neck specimen of Ding kiln

Green Ding Porcelain

Green Ding porcelain is less common compared with White Ding porcelain, Black Ding porcelain and Purple Ding porcelain. In an investigation into the kiln site, it is difficult to find the Green Ding specimens. The archaeologists from the Palace Museum collected some specimens of Green Ding porcelain when investigating Ding kiln sites in the 1960s, and all of them were remains of plates. Each features a fine white body that is thicker than the average porcelain and has a dragon-decorated and green glazed surface whose green color is given by cupric oxide. The quality of the glaze is fine and the color is beautiful.

Decorations of Ding Porcelain

Ding kiln of the Song Dynasty produced mainly white porcelain, and there were also some black glazed, caramel glazed and green glazed porcelain products. There are mainly three kinds of decoration of white porcelain: scratching, engraving and stamping.

Plum-blossom engraved vase, height 37.1cm, caliber 4.7cm, foot diameter 7.8cm

Scratching is one of the main methods of decorating Ding ware from the Song Dynasty. Scratching is done by using a fine-tooth-comb to scratch simple lines and flower patterns on the porcelain. The lines are usually vigorous and vibrant, and lotus petal is the most commonly scratched decoration on Ding porcelain. The lotus on the porcelain may be presented as one blossoming lotus, two blossoming together, or sometimes lotus flowers and lotus leaves interlocked with each other, or it is sometimes accompanied by a duck image. The scratching decoration is mostly used on up-standing pieces.