Ryusen Kiln

A representative celadon kiln in China. Kiln sites are widely scattered from Longquan County in southern Zhejiang Province to Fujian Province. It originated in the Northern Song Dynasty and was opened as a branch kiln of the Yuezhou kiln. Initially, it fired celadon that was descended from the gray-blue Yuezhou kiln celadon, but in the second half of the 11th century, it developed a unique blue-green glaze color and gradually surpassed the Yuezhou kiln, becoming China's leading celadon kiln. Ancient kiln sites have been discovered in a concentrated area in Longquan County, and more than 20 sites are known, including Dayao, Jincun, Xikou, Wanghu, Anfu, Anrenkou, Wutongkou, Zhou, Wangzhuang, Daotai, Xiaobai'an, Yangmeiling, Wangshikeng, Gaotou, Xinting, and Daigen. Longquan Kiln is the general name for these kilns, but ancient kiln sites also extend to the surrounding counties of Lishui, Yunhe, Suichang, and Yongjia, and some even extend into southern Fujian Province. Tong'an Kiln in Tong'an County, Fujian Province, is a branch kiln of Longquan Kiln, and its distribution area is vast.

In the second half of the 12th century, influenced by the Southern Song official kilns (Jiaotan kilns), they produced the powder-blue so-called Kinuta celadon, which gained fame throughout the country. Six kilns are known to have produced Kinuta celadon: Dayao, Jincun, Xikou, Gaotou, Xinting, and Daigen.

In the early 14th century, during the latter half of the Yuan dynasty, the mainstream shifted to a style of blue-green glaze centered on large pieces such as large plates, large vases, and large bottles, known in Japan as Tenryuji celadon, and this style flourished throughout the Ming dynasty. The pale blue, transparent celadon known in Japan as Shichikan celadon is a type of ware beloved by literati that descends from Kinuta celadon, the glaze color of which has faded and the shape has become raw and hard. In Japan, it was highly valued as tea utensils, and many excellent examples of this work have survived along with Kinuta celadon. Although Longquan kilns continued to exist throughout the Qing dynasty, it is believed that their activity was in considerable decline. In documents from the Ming dynasty, they often appear under the name of Chuzhou kilns, and their products were generally called "Chuo ware."

[Yoshiaki Yabe]

"Complete Collection of World Ceramics 12: Song" and "Complete Collection of World Ceramics 13: Liao, Jin, and Yuan" (1977, 1981, Shogakukan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国の代表的な青磁窯。浙江(せっこう)省南部竜泉県を中心に福建省一帯まで窯址(ようし)は広く散在する。発祥は北宋(ほくそう)時代で、越州窯の一支窯として開かれた。初めは灰青色の越州窯青磁の系譜を引く青磁を焼成したが、11世紀後半には青緑色の独特の釉色(ゆうしょく)を開発し、しだいに越州窯を凌駕(りょうが)して中国第一の青磁窯に成長した。古窯址は竜泉県に集中して発見され、大窯、金村、渓口、王湖、安福、安仁口、梧桐口、周、王庄、道太、小白岸、楊梅嶺、王石坑、坳頭、新亭、岱根など二十数か所が知られている。竜泉窯とはこれら諸窯の総称であるが、このほか周囲の麗水県、雲和県、遂昌(ついしょう)県、永嘉(えいか)県にも古窯址は広がり、さらに一部は福建省南部にも及んでいる。福建省同安県の同安窯はまさに竜泉窯の一支窯であり、その分布範囲は広大である。

　12世紀後半になると、南宋官窯（郊壇(こうだん)窯）の影響を受けて、粉青色のいわゆる砧(きぬた)青磁を焼造して天下にその名を高めた。大窯、金村、渓口、坳頭、新亭、岱根の六か所の窯が砧青磁を焼成していたことが認められている。

　元代後半の14世紀初頭には、日本で天竜寺青磁といわれる大盤、大壺(たいこ)、大瓶などの大作を中心とした青緑色釉のかかった作風に主流が転じ、明(みん)代を通じてこれが盛行した。なお、日本で七官(しちかん)青磁とよばれる透明度のある淡青色の青磁は、砧青磁の系譜を引く文人愛玩(あいがん)の器皿で、砧青磁の釉色が退化し、造形も生硬となったもので、日本では茶具として珍重されたために砧青磁とともに多くの優品が伝存している。竜泉窯は清(しん)朝を通じて存続はしていたものの、活動はかなり退潮していたと推測される。なお、明代の文献には多く処州窯の名で現れ、一般にその製品は「処器」と称された。

［矢部良明］

『『世界陶磁全集12　宋』『世界陶磁全集13　遼・金・元』（1977、1981・小学館）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例