Official kiln

Pottery kilns built by political rulers. They are broadly divided into official kilns aimed at promoting industry and those that produced high-quality, artistic imperial vessels. The characteristics of official kilns are most evident in China, where the pottery industry was at its most advanced, but the details of ancient official kilns are all unknown. Today, when discussing official kilns, the focus is on official kilns used to produce imperial vessels, and the official kilns of the Song dynasty are the main focus. Its origin is believed to be the Chai kiln of the Later Zhou dynasty of the Five Dynasties, but its actual nature is unknown. The Xue Ying Journey Record, inscribed in 1016 (the 9th year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era), contains an article about the establishment of official kilns within the Liao dynasty, and it is believed that official kilns were also built in the Liao dynasty following the example of the official kilns of the Northern Song dynasty, which were probably established before that time. The site of the Northern Song official kiln is unknown, but the official kiln of the Southern Song dynasty was established in Hangzhou, where the capital was. The Jiaotanxia official kiln has been discovered at the foot of Mount Wugui, but the site of the Xiuneisi official kiln mentioned in the documents has not yet been identified. The official kiln of the Song dynasty was a celadon kiln, but in the Ming dynasty, an official kiln was established in the Jingdezhen kiln in Jiangxi Province during the Yongle period (1403-24), and mainly produced white porcelain, blue and white porcelain, and colored porcelain. The Qing dynasty also opened an official kiln in Jingdezhen in 1680 (19th year of the Kangxi era). In the Korean Peninsula, the Gwangju kiln (located in Gyeonggi Province) during the Joseon Dynasty was the correct official kiln, and in Japan, the kilns of each feudal domain, including the Okawachi kiln built by the Nabeshima domain in the Edo period, were official kilns.

[Yoshiaki Yabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

政治支配者が築いた陶窯。殖産興業を目ざす官窯と、高級な美術性の高い宮廷御器(ぎょき)を焼造する官窯とに大別される。陶業がもっとも進歩した中国において、官窯の性格はいちばんよく表れているが、古代の官窯はすべて不詳である。現今、官窯を問題とする場合は、御器を焼く官窯であり、宋(そう)代の官窯が中心テーマとなる。その始源は五代の後周(こうしゅう)王朝の柴窯(さいよう)と目されているが、その実体は不明。大中祥府9年（1016）記銘のある『薛英(せつえい)行程録』には、遼(りょう)の国内に官窯が設けられていたという記事があり、それ以前に開かれていたのであろう北宋の官窯に倣って、遼にも官窯が築かれていたと思われる。北宋官窯の窯址(ようし)は不明であるが、南宋時代の官窯は、都のあった杭州(こうしゅう)に開かれた。烏亀(うき)山の山麓(さんろく)に郊壇下官窯が発見されているが、文献のいう修内司官窯址はまだ判明していない。宋代の官窯は青磁窯であったが、明(みん)代になると江西省の景徳鎮(けいとくちん)窯に永楽年間（1403～24）に官窯が設けられて、白磁、染付、色絵を中心として作陶され、清(しん)朝も1680年（康煕19）に景徳鎮に官窯を開いた。朝鮮半島では李朝(りちょう)時代の広州窯（京畿道(けいきどう)所在）が正しい官窯であり、日本では江戸時代になって鍋島(なべしま)藩が築いた大河内(おおかわち)窯をはじめ、各藩の藩窯が官窯にあたる。

［矢部良明］

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