The Mechanic of Change. The Aesthetics of Chinese Ceramics in the Northern Song (960-1127) and Early Jin (1127-1234)

Song dynasty (960–1279) ceramics are often considered the most accomplished in the history of this material in China, although in recent years the market has favored later wares produced at Jingdezhen for the imperial house of the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) periods.2 Song manufacture was indeed impressive in terms of quality, variety, and quantity, as reported in many literary documents written over the centuries by eager connoisseurs and confirmed by archaeological excavations carried out since the 1950s. The approach adopted in this chapter rests mainly on archaeological data; that is, it will analyse production in the eleventh and early twelfth centuries relying on excavated evidence to understand the mechanics of aesthetic change.