Longquan ware is a type of Chinese stoneware with a celadon glaze, produced at kilns in and around Longquan in Zhejiang province in southern China. It is famous for its thick, lustrous glazes ranging from bluish green to olive and sea green, which were greatly admired in China and widely exported across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Longquan kilns were active over many centuries and reached their height during the Southern Song dynasty, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when potters achieved a jade-like, semi-opaque blue-green glaze. Production continued on a large scale through the Yuan and into the Ming dynasties, when wares became heavier and often decorated with incised, moulded or applied ornament, including large dishes, vases, incense burners and bowls. Some pieces have a characteristic orange-red colour where the unglazed body has burned during firing. Collectors look for the colour and depth of the glaze, the potting, crisp decoration and condition. Chips and glaze losses are common on early pieces, many of which have been excavated. Later imitations and reproductions are common, so specialist knowledge is important for dating and attribution.
