Ding kiln porcelain (a specialty of Dingzhou, Hebei)

The basic introduction of Ding kiln porcelain

Ding kiln porcelain has a thin and fine skeleton, clean color, and high degree of ceramicization. The glaze color is mostly white, and the enamel is firm, dense, and smooth. The white glaze of Ding kiln porcelain often flashes yellow, hence it is called "powder setting". Occasionally, the glaze surface also has the phenomenon of hanging glaze, hence the nickname "tear glaze". The common types of Ding kiln porcelain in the Song Dynasty were bowls, plates, bottles, plates, boxes, and pillows, while jars, furnaces, and other shapes were relatively rare. The decorative techniques of Ding kiln porcelain mainly include white glaze printing, white glaze engraving, and white glaze carving. In the early Northern Song Dynasty, Ding kiln carved flowers had relatively simple compositions and patterns, with heavy lotus petal patterns being the most common, and the decoration had a shallow relief aesthetic. In the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty, the carved decorations of Ding kiln were exquisite and unique

How did the history of Ding kiln porcelain come aboutDing kiln is one of the famous porcelain kilns in the Song Dynasty, renowned for producing white porcelain. Ding kiln porcelain is mostly white glazed, with a small amount of black glaze, sauce glaze, brown glaze, green glaze and other varieties. The fame of Ding kiln white porcelain began in the Northern Song Dynasty, while the production of Ding kiln white porcelain began in the Tang Dynasty. Ding kiln was already a famous porcelain field in the Tang Dynasty, specializing in firing white glazed and yellow glazed porcelain. It developed rapidly in the Song Dynasty and became even larger and more famous than before, firing a large amount of white porcelain, followed by black glaze, sauce glaze, green glaze, white ground brown flower and other varieties. The white porcelain body is delicate, with a thin and shiny texture. The glaze color is pure white and moist, with tear marks on it. The glaze is white glassy with a slight powdery texture, hence it is called powder coating or white coating. Other porcelain bodies have a coarse texture and a yellowish glaze color, commonly known as earthenware; Purple is defined as purple; Black as paint is black, and it has been passed down very rarely

How to distinguish between genuine and fake Ding kiln porcelain

Firstly, there should be a jade like texture. The Song Dynasty pursued the effect of jade quality in porcelain production, with those with a jade like texture being considered the top grade, especially for porcelain fired in the palace, which must be fired with a jade like texture. Therefore, when handling a fixed porcelain object (whether it is white or glazed), the first thing to consider is whether it has a jade like texture? The genuine product should have a glossy glaze and a lively atmosphere, just like white jade. Imitation products are difficult to master due to the raw materials of the glaze and the firing temperature, making it difficult to achieve a jade like texture. Generally, it has a dull aura, pale glaze color, and no jade texture to speak of. Some individuals can produce a jade like texture, but common colors appear new and have a fiery sensation

<2. The glaze color is as white as ivory. After the Five Dynasties, clay was no longer applied to Ding kiln ware before glazing. The glaze water of the applied white glaze is white with a flash of yellow, so the color of the glaze surface is called "ivory white". A few poor quality glazes are white with a slight shimmer of grayish yellow. The white glazed surface is semi transparent, and due to the thin glaze application, the color of the base can be faintly seen in the thin areas. A light yellow green glaze can be seen at the waist of the object. The bubbles at the accumulated glaze are sparse and clear, with varying sizes. This is also a key point to note when identifying. Due to the inability to master the specific firing atmosphere of the Ding kiln, imitations are difficult to produce the "ivory white" glaze color. The glaze color is often either slightly white or yellow, and it is difficult to see light yellow green at the waist of the object

Thirdly, we need to see "bamboo brush marks". In the tire making process of Ding kiln, when the tire is half dry, a bamboo wire brush is used for rotary repair, so there are some "bamboo wire brush marks" left on the tire surface. Due to the thin glaze applied in Ding kiln, after firing, the brush marks left by bamboo thread trimming can be faintly seen through the glaze surface at the thin glaze. This is one of the basic characteristics of Ding kiln porcelain, and special attention must be paid during identification. This kind of "bamboo silk brush mark" is often not seen in imitations. Some have done it, but it was done awkwardly and not natural enough, which can be used to distinguish it

4. Common "wax tear marks" on glazed surfaces. This kind of "tear mark" is caused by uneven glazing and the dripping of glaze water during firing. The lower part of the flowing glaze is raised like wax tears, and the lower part of the spherical surface is shallow green. This' tear mark 'only appears on the outside of the bowl. Whether there are "tear marks" has also become a basic characteristic for identifying whether it is a North Ding. Of course, not every Ding kiln porcelain has "tear marks", but having "tear marks" is easier to confirm than not having "tear marks". It is difficult for ordinary imitations to make such "tear marks"