Song dynasty ceramics are the pottery and porcelain wares made in China during the Song dynasty, which ruled from 960 to 1279. The period is widely regarded as a high point of Chinese ceramic art, celebrated for restrained, elegant forms and subtle monochrome glazes rather than painted decoration.
Later Chinese connoisseurs singled out five classic wares of the period: Ru, Guan, Ge, Ding and Jun. Ru and Guan wares have soft bluish or greyish glazes, often with fine crackle, Ding ware has an ivory-white body with carved or moulded designs, and Jun ware is known for thick lavender-blue glazes with purple splashes. Other important types include Longquan celadons, dark-glazed Jian tea bowls, painted Cizhou stonewares and pale blue-white qingbai porcelain. Genuine Song pieces are rare and command high prices, and the best are in museum collections. Because these wares were admired and copied in later dynasties, and are still reproduced today, attribution requires considerable experience, and important pieces should be bought with expert advice and sound provenance. Glaze quality, potting, the appearance of the foot and the body all inform judgement.
