Song (960-1279) caramics: aesthetics, theories, and archaeological discoveries

Song ceramics have been highly appreciated in the West since they were first imported at the end of the 19th century and in China since at least the 13th century. The concept of “five famous wares of the Song dynasty”, namely Ding, Ru, Jun, Guan and Ge, has informed the discourse on Song ceramics as if it had been transmitted from a remote past, thus influencing our perception. But was it really? Archaeological excavations carried out in the past 15 years have undermined the reliability of the theory of the “five famous wares” prompting a thorough re-examination of ancient Chinese written sources which has proved that, in fact, it is a 20th century notion that surreptitiously emerged in the 1950s and slowly, but inexorably asserted itself until it became unshakable in the 1980s. It does not reflect the perception of Song ceramics by Ming connoisseurs and even less the perception of Song wares by their contemporaries The paper concludes with a long comment on the aesthetics of Song ceramics which re-considers what was favoured by the court (in Kaifeng and Hangzhou) and the main genres produced at the time. The outcome is a more balanced judgement that lays the groundwork for future research into the appreciation of ceramics in Song times.