As described elsewhere (see “Ru Kiln”), celadon porcelain known as Ru ware was produced in the area of Linruo County in Henan Province, China, and it is said that the court of the Northern Song Dynasty ordered the kilns to be built here to produce porcelain for their official use. Later, they built a kiln in the capital city of Jirujing (Kaifeng) to supply their needs. This was the establishment of the so-called Northern Song official kilns. It is not difficult to imagine that the Ru kilns, which had been engaged in the manufacture of imperial wares, must have been deeply involved in the establishment of these official kilns.
In addition, Zhou Hui of the Southern Song dynasty wrote in his “Qing Po Za Zhi” that “Ru ware is forbidden to be fired in the palace,” and celadon wares that have recently been regarded as made by the Northern Song Guan ware are now called Ru ware. Although there are only a few dozen pieces of Ru ware in the National Palace Museum, the David Foundation, and other museums, they are known for their outstanding excellence. Unlike the Guan ware of the Southern Song dynasty, the celadon glaze is a translucent, slightly indigo-blue powder, which is a more refined version of the northern celadon glazes of the Ru ware and Yaozhou ware. It is no exaggeration to say that this piece is a supreme treasure of Chinese ceramics, as is the exquisiteness of its style.
