Porcelain ware from the Yuan dynasty in China. There are many kilns, but their names are unknown to the public, and they are all simply referred to as yuansi. The yüanshi that has been popular in recent years are all bats produced in the Shanxi and Henan areas during the Yuan dynasty. Although some are sometimes produced in southern China, they are all thought to be late Song dynasty ceramics. Today, the term yüanshi refers exclusively to purple-banded wares made in the style of the Hüng kiln. Most of these pieces are blue with purple patches, and the most precious are those in the shape of fish, butterflies, or bats. Those that are not purple in color are considered ordinary wares. Henan wares are from the early Yuan dynasty and are not much different from Song and Qun wares in terms of body, glaze, and color. The An (Changji, Shanxi Province) wares date from the mid Yuan dynasty and have a semi-silver body and a slightly more transparent glaze than the early wares. A piece from Gamazhou (Yongji, Shanxi), also from the mid Yuan dynasty, also has a nearly transparent glaze, with only a hint of grape violet among the red patches. The color of the Yuan celadon is generally the same as that of the Sung Yun ware, but there is a difference between the two. That is, the glaze of the Yuan ware is thick and dripping, while that of the Sung Gun ware is thick and pervasive. The purple of the yuanzashi glaze clumps together to form objects, while the purple of the songgun glaze is spread over the entire surface. The darker areas of the yuanshi glaze sometimes form stripes, while the shallower areas show wavy patterns, but the Sung Gun glaze is a uniform mixture of deep and shallow shades. This is the difference between the two. Regardless of whether they are porcelain or tiled porcelains, all genuine yanshi ceramics are heavy and extremely hard. Tile-welds, although similar in color to tiles, still have a semi-magnetic quality. Although the texture of a porcelain body is similar to that of porcelain, it still has some tile-like qualities. (Yunryusai Seisai Seisai)
