The Grand Panorama of Yuan Dynasty Ceramics: A Collector’s Guide
In the vast river of ceramic history, each dynasty and kiln complex had its moment of brilliance. Yuan Dynasty ceramics may not claim to be unparalleled, yet they possess a unique beauty all their own. They serve as a crucial bridge, inheriting the refined elegance of the Song Dynasty while paving the way for the magnificent splendor of the Ming, creating a distinctive ripple in the long stream of civilization. As a vast empire bred no narrow aesthetic, the dramatic clash and fusion of diverse cultures—Mongol, Han, Islamic, and others—infused ceramic art with unprecedented vitality and creativity, resulting in bold forms, innovative glazes, and cosmopolitan designs.
在陶瓷的歷史長河中，各朝各窯皆有其輝煌時刻。元代陶瓷或許不能稱作空前絕後，但它們確實擁有獨一無二的美感。它們是一座重要的橋樑，承襲了宋代的清雅風骨，又為明代的華彩篇章鋪平了道路，在文明的長河中激盪起獨特的漣漪。廣袤的帝國孕育不出狹隘的美學，多元文化——蒙古、漢、伊斯蘭等——的激烈碰撞與融合，為陶瓷藝術注入了前所未有的生命力與創造力，從而誕生了器形大膽、釉色創新、紋飾融合中西的傑作。
Egg-White Glaze (Shufu Ware)
Egg-white glaze is a high-temperature white glaze innovated at the Jingdezhen kilns during the Yuan Dynasty, developed from the earlier qingbai (bluish-white) glaze. Its primary characteristic is a warm, lustrous, and opalescent white color. This glaze later evolved into the famed “Sweet White” glaze of the Ming Dynasty. Many surviving Yuan egg-white glaze pieces, whether handed down or excavated, bear the inscription “Shufu” (樞府, referring to the Privy Council), leading to the common name “Shufu Glaze.” However, inscriptions were not limited to “Shufu”; others include “Taixi” (太禧), “Fulu” (福祿), and “Dongwei” (東衛), indicating use by various imperial and aristocratic institutions.
卵白釉（樞府瓷）
卵白釉是元代景德鎮窯在青白釉基礎上創燒的高溫白釉，其主要特點是釉色溫潤、瑩白、帶乳濁感。此釉後世演變為明代著名的「甜白釉」。傳世及出土的元代卵白釉器多見「樞府」字銘，故有「樞府釉」之俗稱。然而，銘文不止「樞府」一種，還包括「太禧」、「福祿」、「東衛」等，表明其曾被不同宮廷機構或貴族所使用。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Egg-White Glaze Melon-Ridged Jar
圖片：元 卵白釉瓜稜罐
Yuan Blue-and-White (Qinghua)
The Yuan Dynasty marks the dramatic emergence and immediate pinnacle of underglaze blue porcelain. The forms and decorative motifs of Yuan blue-and-white show more or less influence from contemporaneous metalwork of Central Asian and Islamic styles. The ornamentation is densely packed yet meticulously ordered, integrating traditional Chinese scrolling floral patterns with a newfound geometric rhythm. It captures the essence of a pivotal historical era—its chance encounters and inevitable exchanges—within the depths of its brilliant cobalt-blue glaze, inspiring awe, scholarly inquiry, and endless imitation in later generations.
元青花
元代標誌著釉下藍彩瓷器的輝煌崛起與巔峰。元青花的器型與紋飾，或多或少受到當時中亞及伊斯蘭風格金屬器的影響。其紋飾佈局繁密卻井然有序，將中原傳統的纏枝花卉紋與一種全新的幾何韻律相融合。它將那個關鍵歷史時代的本質——各種偶然的相遇與必然的交融——凝固在深邃亮麗的鈷藍釉色之中，令後世敬仰、探究與不斷仿摹。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Blue-and-White Covered Ewer with Bamboo, Rock, Lotus, and Double Phoenix Design
圖片：元 青花竹石纏枝蓮雙鳳紋帶蓋執壺
Underglaze Red (Yuan Hong)
Red symbolizes vitality. During the Yuan Dynasty, underglaze red (Yuan Hong) began to shine alongside blue-and-white like twin stars. Copper oxide, when fired under glaze at high temperatures, produces a radiant red hue. However, its volatile and unstable nature at such temperatures made it unpredictable and difficult to control. Consequently, underglaze red never quite managed to take center stage during the Yuan period, remaining a rare and celebrated achievement.
釉里紅
紅色象徵生命力。在元代，釉里紅與青花如同雙子星般一同開始閃耀。銅氧化物在釉下經高溫燒製後會呈現燦爛的紅色。然而，其在高温下的揮發性與不穩定性，使其呈色難以預測和控制。因此，釉里紅在元代始終未能成為主流，而是作為一種稀有且備受推崇的成就存在。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Underglaze Red ‘Yuhuchun’ Vase with Incised Rabbit Design
圖片：元 釉里紅刻花兔紋玉壺春瓶
Blue Ground with Reserved White Decoration
This technique is distinctive: decorative motifs are highlighted through appliqué, stamping, or carving on parts of the vessel body. The remaining background is then coated with blue glaze and fired at high temperature, creating a striking contrast between the white design and the blue ground. Visually, it is akin to using blue-and-white in reverse. A pioneering technique of the Yuan Dynasty, extant examples are exceedingly rare. This style of blue-glazed decoration was later adopted for Ming and Qing imperial ritual vessels, where it was known as “Sacrificial (or Clear) Blue” (Jilan).
藍地拔白（或稱「反青花」）
此工藝獨特：紋飾通過堆貼、模印或刻劃等方式在器身局部凸顯出來。其餘背景部分則施以藍釉，經高溫燒成，形成白紋與藍地鮮明對比的效果。從視覺上看，這就像是將青花的藍白關係反轉使用。此為元代首創的技法，傳世器物極少。這種藍釉裝飾風格後來被明清宮廷祭器所沿襲，稱為「祭藍」或「霽藍」。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Blue-Glazed Dish with Reserved White Dragon Design
圖片：元 藍釉白龍紋盤
Vibrant Copper-Red Glaze
The Yuan Dynasty produced pure blues as well as pure reds. By this time, the Jingdezhen kilns had mastered the firing of pure, high-temperature copper-red glaze ware—pieces of a uniform, vivid red color. However, the technical challenges and high firing difficulty resulted in an extremely low success rate. The saying “a treasure may be obtained from a thousand kilns” is an exaggeration, but it reflects the苛刻的條件 required to produce a successful piece.
鮮紅釉（銅紅釉）
元代既有純淨的藍，也有純正的紅。此時，景德鎮窯已能燒製純正的高溫銅紅釉瓷器——通體一色，鮮紅純正。然而，技術難度高、燒成不易，導致成品率極低。「千窯得一寶」的說法雖屬誇張，但反映了成功燒製一件器物所需的苛刻條件。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Vibrant Red-Glazed Ewer with Incised Cloud and Dragon Design
圖片：元 鮮紅釉暗劃雲龍紋執壺
Jun Glaze
While the blue of Qinghua and the red of underglaze red each display their own chromatic beauty, and monochrome blue or red glazes stand alone, Jun ware often intentionally presents two colors on a single vessel under controlled glaze effects. Blue and red become the most动人的邂逅 in the ceramic world; the romantic red and elegant blue fuse and interweave, teaching the viewer to appreciate the delicate, poetic rhythm beneath its seemingly coarse and spontaneous appearance.
鈞釉
青花之藍與釉里紅之紅，或單色的青釉、紅釉，皆各自展現其色彩之美。而鈞窯器則常在一件器物上，通過可控的窯變釉效，有意呈現出兩種顏色。藍與紅成為陶瓷世界中最動人的邂逅；浪漫的紅與優雅的藍交融纏繞，教導觀賞者去品味那看似粗率隨意的外表之下，細膩而充滿詩意的律動。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Junyao ‘Yuebai’-Glazed Prunus Vase with Red Splashes and Cover
圖片：元 鈞窯月白釉紅斑帶蓋梅瓶
White Ground with Black Design (Cizhou Ware)
The Cizhou kiln complex and its related systems were paramount in producing everyday ceramics for the populace. From the Northern Song through the Jin, Yuan, and into the Ming Dynasty, they remained integral to daily life. The most characteristic Cizhou ware is the “white ground with black design” pottery. It achieves a high aesthetic form through stark black-and-white contrast. This beauty is perhaps unconscious and distinct from refined courtly craftsmanship—a rustic beauty that emphasizes spiritual expression, deeply appreciated by later generations.
白地黑花（磁州窯系）
磁州窯系及其旁系是生產民間日用陶瓷的重要窯系。從北宋、金、元直至明代，它們始終是百姓日常生活的一部分。最具代表性的磁州窯產品是「白地黑花」瓷。它通過鮮明的黑白對比，達成一種高度的審美形態。這種美或許是無意識的，有別於精緻的宮廷工藝——是一種注重精神表達的淳樸之美，深受後世喜愛。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Cizhou Ware Jar with White Ground and Black Dragon- Phoenix Design
圖片：元 磁州窯白地黑花龍鳳紋罐
Longquan Celadon
Celadon was produced nationwide, each region with its distinctive characteristics. Among them, Longquan celadon stood out, becoming preeminent in both scale and influence. Its peak was during the Southern Song, but it maintained significant status in the Yuan Dynasty, particularly excelling in export trade and official ware production.
龍泉青釉
青瓷全國各地皆有燒造，各具特色。其中，龍泉青瓷脫穎而出，在規模和影響力上均堪稱翹楚。其巔峰在南宋，但元代仍保持重要地位，尤其在外銷瓷和官用瓷生產方面表現突出。
Image: Yuan Dynasty, Longquan Celadon Covered Ewer
圖片：元 龍泉窯青釉帶蓋執壺
Our understanding of ceramics is gradually built through the organic combination of an object’s artistry and its intrinsic historical attributes—one manifest on the surface, the other hidden within—together interpreting the standards and consensus of “beauty.”
我們對陶瓷的認知，是通過器物藝術性與其內在歷史屬性的有機結合而逐步建立的——前者顯於表面，後者隱於內在——二者共同詮釋著「美」的標準與共識。
Each ceramic work mentioned above is a time capsule. The front side reveals artistic beauty, while the reverse side conceals historical culture. Appreciating them is to nourish the mind with the orthodox lineage of culture.
上述每一件陶瓷作品都是一顆時間膠囊。正面展現的是藝術之美，背面隱藏的是歷史文化。欣賞它們，便是以正統的文化血脈澤潤心田。
In our contemporary era, knowledge is often fragmented and superficial. We seek instant results and quick answers, frequently overlooking the subtleties in details and the profound essence lying beneath the surface.
在當今時代，知識往往碎片化且流於表面。我們追求即時成效與快速答案，常常忽視細節的精妙與潛藏於表象之下的深邃精髓。
Ceramic art is true gold tempered and sedimented through time. It possesses a unique charm—to be viewed and admired, to be known and discussed. For the collector, each Yuan piece is not merely an object but a testament to an era of boundless exchange and audacious innovation.
陶瓷藝術是經時間洗練沉澱出的真金。它獨具韻味——可觀可賞，可知可道。對於收藏家而言，每一件元代陶瓷不僅是一件器物，更是一個無盡交流與大膽創新時代的見證。
