Celadon-glazed bowl with floral rim, Guan ware, Song dynasty, 1127-1279. Collection of National Palace Museum © National Palace Museum
This celadon plate resembling a blossoming lotus has a rim as refined as flower petals. The layer of glaze at the rim is thinner and appears a light brown color, because of the tendency of the glaze to drip downwards. The base of the plate is flat with circular foot, the circular foot retaining the trace of seven tiny supporting nails. Using mud nails to support the porcelain during the firing process enabled the glaze to cover the porcelain more completely. This special kind of firing-support technique was also used by Ru-Kilns, suggesting a possible connection between the Southern Song Guan wares in Zhejiang and the Ru-Kilns in Henan.
This lotus-shaped celadon plate by the Southern Song Guan ware has a clear, even and smooth glaze in a gentle color. The Southern Song Guan wares were located in the vicinity of Zhejiang, and their porcelain is generally glazed in a bluish green tint, distinguishable from the usual Zhejiang tradition of yellowish or greenish tint. It is speculated that this new tint that suddenly became popular during the Southern Song Period may also have originated from the Ru-Kilns in the north. However, the clay used for Ru-Kilns was lighter in color, while the clay used for porcelain fired in Zhejiang tended to be blacker. In addition, a pattern resembling cracks in ice and containing light yellow lines can be seen between the layers of glaze for this plate; this is referred to as "yellow eel blood in cracks of ice", and is one of the most beloved characteristics of porcelain from Guan wares of Southern Song.