Yaozhou Ware

Yaozhou Ware is one of the most celebrated traditions of northern Chinese celadon. Originating in the Huangbao area of present-day Tongchuan, Shaanxi, its production began in the Tang dynasty, matured during the Five Dynasties, and reached its artistic height during the middle and late Northern Song dynasty. Yaozhou Ware is renowned for its celadon glazes and distinctive carved and impressed decoration, with olive-green and blue-green tones and motifs such as lotus, peony, scrolling foliage, and dragons and phoenixes. Its confident, vigorous carving and flowing lines embody the refined yet dynamic aesthetic of Song-dynasty ceramics. Production continued through the Jin and Yuan dynasties, before the center of Yaozhou ceramic production gradually shifted from Huangbao to Chenlu. Although individual kiln sites experienced periods of rise and decline, the Yaozhou ceramic tradition was preserved and carried forward in Chenlu, creating one of the remarkable long-lasting lineages in the history of Chinese ceramics, with its craftsmanship and aesthetic continuing to this day.