Northern Song Dynasty

 

During the Northern Song Dynasty, production refocused on everyday utensils, with the range of vessels narrowing to just over a dozen types: bowls, plates, cups, lamp bases, oil-saving lamps, pitchers, vases, jars, and so forth. Ceramic ornaments and toys virtually disappeared, and the lingering glow of prosperity faded away.

Northern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Oil-Saving Lamp
Mouth diameter 11.7 cm, foot diameter 4.6 cm, height 4.7 cm
Excavated from Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City
Currently housed in Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  Glazed Oil Lamp  
Mouth diameter: 11 cm, Foot diameter: 4.6 cm, Height: 4.6 cm  
Excavated from the Qianjiang Phoenix City construction site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Mid-to-Late Northern Song Dynasty  Green-Glazed Oil-Saving Lamp  
Mouth diameter: 11.9 cm; Foot diameter: 4.5 cm; Height: 5.1 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Mid-to-Late Northern Song Dynasty  Green-Glazed Oil-Saving Lamp  
Mouth diameter: 11.8 cm, Foot diameter: 5.3 cm, Height: 4.5 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty
Celadon-Glazed Green-Decorated Oil-Saving Lamp
Mouth diameter 11.5 cm, foot diameter 4.9 cm, height 4.4 cm
Excavated from the Tang-Song Market Site, Zhengkejia Lane, Chengdu
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Song Dynasty Qiong Kiln Green-Glazed Oil-Saving Porcelain Lamp
Unearthed at the West Main Road Construction Site, Chengdu People's Park
Collection of Chengdu Museum

 

The glaze color was dominated by a milky opaque glaze, exhibiting unstable hues such as green, pale green, celadon blue, and bluish-green, with occasional kiln-change effects visible in localized areas. Low-temperature glazes disappeared, while celadon and brown glazes survived only in scattered fragments. Forms remained regular, with rounded rims replacing floral ones, and sloping straight walls with small folds becoming predominant. Disc-shaped bases dominated, ring bases were rare, and jade-disc bases disappeared. Lamp dishes adopted thick, sloping square rims, while double-spouted narrow-necked vessels became popular.

Northern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Lamp Dish  
Mouth diameter: 8.4 cm, Base diameter: 5.2 cm, Height: 2.3 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration局

 

Northern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Lamp Dish  
Mouth diameter: 13 cm, Foot diameter: 6.5 cm, Height: 3.5 cm  
Excavated from a tomb dating to the fifth year of the Shaosheng era (1098) of the Northern Song Dynasty,  
Kaiyuan Village, Muli Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration Bureau

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Pouring Vessel  
Mouth diameter: 6.1 cm, Base diameter: 7.4 cm, Height: 17.6 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

The body thickens and coarsens, as the opaque glaze conceals flaws in the clay, rendering slip application largely unnecessary. Glazing typically stops at the mid-section of the vessel. The glaze surface exhibits a semi-wood-fired sheen, with pronounced glaze drips and fine craquelure frequently observed.

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Jar  
Mouth diameter: 7.8 cm, Maximum body diameter: 12.2 cm, Foot diameter: 6.4 cm, Height: 8.0 cm  
Excavated from a Song Dynasty tomb in Yinghan Village, Ran Yi Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Double-Handled Jar  
Mouth diameter: 6.6 cm, Foot diameter: 5.0 cm, Height: 11.0 cm  
Excavated from a tomb dating to the fifth year of the Shaoshen era (1098) of the Northern Song Dynasty,  
Kaiyuan Village, Muli Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration Bureau

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed, Polychrome-Decorated Four-Handled Jar  
Mouth diameter: 12.0 cm, Foot diameter: 11.0 cm, Height: 20.4 cm  
Excavated from a Song Dynasty tomb in Lianhua Village, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed, Polychrome-Decorated Four-Handled Jar  
Mouth diameter: 8.2 cm, Foot diameter: 7.2 cm, Height: 16.6 cm  
Excavated from the construction site of Linqiong No. 2 Middle School, West Street, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai Municipal Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Four-Handled Jar  
Mouth diameter: 13.2 cm, Base diameter: 11.2 cm, Height: 19.8 cm  
Excavated from a Song Dynasty tomb in Yinghan Village, Ran Yi Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty Celadon-Glazed Four-Handled Jar
Mouth diameter: 12 cm; Maximum body diameter: 9.5 cm; Base diameter: 11.4 cm; Height: 20.4 cm
Excavated from a tomb dating to the fifth year of the Shaoshen era (1098) of the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaiyuan Village, Muli Town, Qionglai City
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Small Gourd-shaped Jar with Celadon Glaze  
Mouth diameter: 5.0 cm, Foot diameter: 4.4 cm, Height: 8 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Northern Song Dynasty  Small Jar with Double Handles and Celadon Glaze  
Mouth diameter: 6.8 cm, Base diameter: 3.8 cm, Height: 5.2 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Small Jar with Applied Decoration in Celadon Glaze  
Mouth diameter: 3.1 cm, Maximum body diameter: 5.5 cm, Foot diameter: 3.3 cm, Total height: 4.5 cm  
Excavated from a Song Dynasty tomb in Gongyi Village, Guyi Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Vase with Flower-Shaped Mouth  
Mouth diameter: 10.2 cm, Foot diameter: 4.6 cm, Height: 7.0 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Green-Glazed Bell-Footed Incense Burner  
Mouth diameter: 4.6 cm, Base diameter: 3.6 cm, Height: 5.5 cm  
Excavated from the Tang-Song Market Site at Zhengkejia Lane, Chengdu  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Northern Song Dynasty
Green-Glazed Multi-Legged Incense Burner
Mouth diameter: 9.5 cm; Height: 6.1 cm
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

The decoration is minimalist, with most milky-glazed vessels featuring plain surfaces. Only wheel-cut chrysanthemum patterns, shallow reliefs of double lotus petals, or molded linear patterns on the handles are visible, occasionally retaining traces of green or brown speckled decoration.

Northern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Plate  
Diameter 15.4 cm, Foot Diameter 6 cm, Height 4.3 cm  
Unearthed from a Northern Song Dynasty Chongning 3rd Year (1104) tomb at the “Ouxiang Town” construction site, Huayang Town, Shuangliu County  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Open-flame stacked firing dominated production, with kiln supports becoming smaller and flatter. Kiln shelves retained their heavy, straight-sided cylindrical form, remaining scarce and technologically conservative. Facing competition from emerging kilns like Pengzhou's Cifeng, Jinfeng, and Dujiangyan's Yutang, as well as imported masterpieces from Jingdezhen and Yaozhou, the Qiong Kiln clung to outdated methods. With no breakthroughs in raw materials or techniques, its market share rapidly eroded, revealing an undeniable decline.

 

Northern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Urgent Need Vessel  
Mouth diameter: 15.2 cm, Base diameter: 7.2 cm, Height: 9 cm  
Excavated from the Tang-Song Market Site at Zhengkejia Lane, Chengdu  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

 

 

Southern Song dynasty to Yuan 

 

 

 

 

The Shifangtang kiln site experienced a comprehensive decline, with low porcelain output and a further contraction in vessel types. Only bowls, plates, and cups remained prevalent, while lamp bases, oil-saving lamps, incense burners, ewers, vases, bird feeders, and lids appeared only occasionally. Decorative ceramics were reduced to scattered fragments of ritual vessels and figurines. Opalescent glaze dominated absolutely, with deepened hues predominantly in blue-green and dark purple tones, though kiln-change glazes still occasionally appeared. Brown glaze and celadon glaze virtually vanished, with only two examples of the latter surviving.

Bowls, plates, and cups predominantly feature rounded, flared, or pointed rims with straight or sloping walls; occasionally, tapered walls appear. Ring-footed bases become the norm, characterized by low, flat-cut footwalls, some retaining nipple-like protrusions, while disc-footed bases gradually disappear. Newly discovered deep-bowled cups with ring bases featured outward-curving rims forming concave grooves. Bottle-shaped vessels popularized the slender-necked, bulbous-bodied “jade-huchun” style. Incense burners became shorter, with multi-legged burners resting on disc bases and hoof-shaped bases shortening. Ding-style and box-style burners also appeared. Lids predominantly featured domed knobs with knobs on the rim. The bodies became lighter and thinner. Opaque milk glaze was used to conceal flaws, and slip coating was largely discontinued. Only occasionally did celadon wares show traces of beige slip coating, and glazing still mostly stopped at the middle of the body. The milk glaze adhered tightly to the body, presenting a semi-wood-gloss finish with glaze drips and fine craquelure. A few pieces were smooth and glossy with brown spots.

 

Southern Song Dynasty, Shaoxing 23rd Year (1153) Marked Glazed Bowl  
Mouth diameter: 16.1 cm, Foot diameter: 4.9 cm, Height: 5.0 cm  
Excavated from the Longxing Temple Site, Qionglai  
Currently housed in the Qionglai Municipal Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Bowl  
Mouth diameter: 10.3 cm, Foot diameter: 4.0 cm, Height: 6.0 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

Southern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Bowl  
Mouth diameter: 11.4 cm; Foot diameter: 4.6 cm; Height: 5.1 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Oil-Saving Lamp  
Mouth diameter: 14 cm; Foot diameter: 5.2 cm; Total height: 6.2 cm  
Excavated from the Longxing Temple site in Qionglai  
Currently housed in the Qionglai Municipal Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Pouring Vessel  
Mouth diameter: 3.0 cm, Body diameter: 7.5 cm, Base diameter: 6.5 cm, Height: 5.3 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration Bureau

 

Southern Song Dynasty Celadon-Glazed Pouring Vessel  
Mouth diameter: 3.4 cm, Maximum belly diameter: 7.5 cm, Foot diameter: 4.2 cm, Height: 9.0 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration Bureau

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Pouring Vessel  
Mouth diameter: 3.0 cm, Body diameter: 7.1 cm, Base diameter: 6.5 cm, Height: 5.0 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration Bureau

 

Southern Song Dynasty  Glazed Jar with Spout  
Mouth diameter: 1.8 cm, Base diameter: 4.8 cm, Height: 6.0 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty  
Celadon-Glazed Pouring Vessel  
Mouth diameter: 2.1 cm, Foot diameter: 4.5 cm, Height: 7.2 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Printed-Patterned Pouring Vessel  
Mouth diameter 3.7 cm, body diameter 13.4 cm, foot diameter 8 cm, height 13.5 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Southern Song Dynasty  
Glazed Jade-Hut Spring Vase  
Mouth diameter: 3.8 cm,  
Body diameter: 8.6 cm,  
Foot diameter: 5.7 cm,  
Height: 18.7 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty  Green-Glazed Jade-Hut Spring Vase  
Mouth diameter 3.0 cm, body diameter 6.1 cm, foot diameter 3.1 cm, height 11.6 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Yuan Dynasty Green-Glazed Jade-Hut Spring Vase  
Mouth diameter 4.6 cm, belly diameter 8.4 cm, foot diameter 5.7 cm, height 17.5 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration Bureau

 

Yuan Dynasty Green-Glazed Jade-Hut Spring Vase  
Mouth diameter: 4.8 cm, Body diameter: 6.9 cm, Foot diameter: 4.5 cm, Height: 11.9 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration Bureau

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Flower-Mouthed Vase  
Mouth diameter 5.0 cm, body diameter 6.9 cm, foot diameter 6.1 cm, height 15.5 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Double-Handled Jar  
Mouth diameter: 9 cm, Body diameter: 17 cm, Foot diameter: 11.2 cm, Height: 16 cm  
Excavated from the Mochachi Garden Site, Donghuamen, Chengdu  
Currently housed at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Southern Song Dynasty Celadon Double-Handled Jar  
Mouth diameter 6.2 cm, body diameter 7.9 cm, foot diameter 3.8 cm, height 5.7 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Tripod Dish  
Mouth diameter: 15.5 cm, Base diameter: 5.2 cm, Height: 3.5 cm  
Excavated from Tianqing Street, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty Green-Glazed Tripod Incense Burner  
Mouth diameter 11.7 cm, base diameter 7.1 cm, height 11.7 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

Southern Song Dynasty
Milky Blue-Green Glazed Five-Legged Porcelain Incense Burner
Excavated from the Qiong Kiln Site, Chengdu

 

Southern Song Dynasty  Glazed Multi-Legged Incense Burner  
Diameter 14.5 cm, Height 6.7 cm  
Excavated from Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed at Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

 

Southern Song Dynasty  
Glazed Three-Legged Incense Burner  
Mouth diameter: 15.2 cm; Foot diameter: 6.0 cm; Height: 5.1 cm  
Excavated from the Shifangtang Kiln Site, Linqiong Town, Qionglai City  
Currently housed in the Qionglai City Cultural Relics Administration

 

 

Decoration was minimalist, with milky glazed vessels mostly plain. Only multi-legged braziers featured mold-impressed animal masks on their outer sides, while vase-shaped vessels occasionally bore sawtooth or inverted triangular incisions. Green glazed bowls retained traces of green-painted grass leaves.

Firing techniques revert to primitive methods, with open-flame stack firing becoming the absolute norm. Kiln shelves are largely abandoned, while small, flat kiln-saggar marks remain on the inner bases of bowls, plates, cups, and braziers—an ancient practice unchanged for millennia.