Collector's generosity gives porcelain lovers rare historical treat

Part of Chen Guozhen's collection is on display at the Palace Museum in Beijing to show visitors how Yue kiln celadon developed and its role in the beginnings of Chinese porcelain. [Photo by Wang Kaihao/China Daily]

According to Geng Baochang, 93, a veteran porcelain researcher from the Palace Museum, a prototype of celadon can be traced back to the 11th century BC in the east of the Zhejiang province. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), the area produced the world's earliest chinaware after a long time spent on development of the technique.

The Yue kiln reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), when its mise (secret color) porcelain was used exclusively by royal families.

"The maritime Silk Road also gave Yue kiln celadon a chance to be exported overseas," Geng says. "The technique had direct influence on those of the Korean Peninsula and Japan."

As China's former royal palace, the Palace Museum now houses 367,000 articles of porcelain. But Shan Jixiang, the director of the museum, admits that its collection is not complete in spite of its huge size.

"For example, the museum's collection of porcelain from southern China is lacking because the focus is mainly on the most renowned kilns in ancient China, which are mostly in the north."

The museum's academic institute has also gathered samples of ancient porcelain from over 100 kiln relics nationwide, but the director says most of the samples are broken pieces.

The celadon articles displayed this time are not only exhibits, but important references for studies, he says.

"We have to rely on more private efforts to get a complete picture, and this exhibition is an attempt," says Shan.

If you go

8:30 am-5 pm; daily except Mondays, through Dec 15. The Palace Museum, 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. Entry costs 60 yuan ($10) till Oct 31; 40 yuan from Nov 1. Ticket sales stop at 4 pm. The exhibition is at the Hall of Abstinence (Zhai Gong), which is in the eastern wing of the museum, with no extra charge.