As a collector I try to collect wares from the mayor kilns, all before the Ming dynasty. Not everything is available or affordable, especially with my small budget. So I’m glad I recently could buy a lovely piece from the Yaozhou kilns. When I handled and own a piece, its much easier to know what to look for in genuine pieces. Great help in this search are good reference books, the internet and especially my fellow collectors from Gotheborg.com. I do not really trust a piece before someone who knows his business has seen it.

This piece is a delicate bowl from the Yaozhou kilns. Probably Song dynasty, maybe Jin, Let’s say 10 to 12th centuries to be sure.

 It measures 4,7 cm high and has a diameter of 10,4 cm and weighs only about 60 grams. It is thinly potted and the greyish green glaze is crazed. The inside glaze is more shiny then the matt outside glaze. The clay is a light orangey brown, the footrim cut with a sharp knife. The bowl flares out at the rim, which is a Yaozhou feature.

 The inside rim is also a bit matt, maybe from some sand adherence. The footrims also often have some kiln grit adhered to it. In this case only a little at one point.

 Yaozhou or Yao-chou falls under the description of northern Celadon, and was located in Shensi, and a second group in Honan.It produces Yaozhou wares from the 10th century onward.

This is a plain bowl, there are also bowls with simple lines in it, bowls with exquisite patterns and designs carved or impressed in. I hope one day I’ll find one I can afford…..