Xiangzhou Kiln Creative Works

Located in the Anyang area of northern Henan, the Xiangzhou Kiln was one of the key production centres for early white porcelain during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Together with the Xing Kiln and the Gongyi Kiln, it helped establish the foundations of northern China’s white-porcelain industry.

Xiangzhou ware is noted for its fine, lightweight body and glazes that range from milky white through pale blue to soft green, occasionally flecked with tiny dark-brown spots that speak to the natural character of the local clay and firing process.

Archaeological excavations of nearby tombs have yielded a rich assortment of objects — bowls, jars, bottles, incense burners, and figurines — serving both everyday and ritual purposes. As an important early example of white porcelain, the Xiangzhou Kiln offers invaluable physical evidence of the technological experiments and aesthetic shifts that took place in Chinese ceramics on the eve of the great Song-dynasty porcelain age.

Four-Lug Jar (Re-firing)

The four-lug jar is a classic celadon form produced at the Xiangzhou Kiln from the Northern Dynasties through to the Sui and Tang periods. As an important witness to the development of northern celadon and the origins of white porcelain, it holds both practical and artistic value. The typical form features a small mouth, a straight neck, sloping shoulders, a drum-shaped belly, and a flat base, with four strap or bridge-shaped lugs set symmetrically around the shoulder for securing a lid. Some examples bear string-line or lotus-petal decoration on the belly; intact pieces with their original lids are extremely rare. The body is thick, fine-grained, and pale grey-white, covered in a lustrous celadon glaze that usually stops short of the base. Some glazed surfaces display natural crackle, and the base shows evenly spaced spur marks from the firing supports. Sturdy yet elegant, these jars not only served the daily storage needs of northern households but also influenced later kilns such as the Xing Kiln, making them key artefacts for understanding the transition from celadon to white porcelain in Chinese ceramic history.

Xiangzhou Kiln Creative Ware (Shang-Dynasty Motifs)

This teapot draws its form from the owl-shaped bronze zun vessel unearthed at the Tomb of Lady Fu Hao at the Yinxu archaeological site. The body is full and generous, the upper section ornamented with kui dragon motifs, and each side features a cicada-wing pattern with wings spread wide. The spout curves like a hooked beak, producing a lively, dynamic silhouette in which ornament and form are in perfect harmony.