Western Zhou pottery and original porcelain

The ceramics of the Western Zhou Dynasty are still in the period of reform.

White pottery, which originated in Dawenkou period and climax in the late Shang Dynasty, disappeared in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and its kaolin matrix became the main raw material of primitive porcelain; black pottery, which was once popular in Longshan culture, disappeared completely, and red pottery rarely appeared.

The main body of ceramics in the Western Zhou Dynasty is mainly composed of grey pottery, hard pottery and primitive porcelain.

The rule of the Western Zhou Dynasty was different from that of the Shang Dynasty. Through the enfeoffment of King Wu, King Cheng and King Kang, the Western Zhou Dynasty established a dynasty with stronger overall ruling power. This historical background reflected in the development of ceramic ware, that is, the extensive exchange of ceramic technology was increased, making the shape, texture and decoration more common. In the south to Guangdong, in the north to Beijing, in the east to the seaside, in the west to Shaanxi, in the east to the sea In Gansu Province, similar and similar ceramic wares appeared in the remains of different places.

Gray pottery is still the main body of this period, but with the increase of the use of bronze ware, primitive porcelain, wood lacquerware and other utensils, the categories and varieties are reduced compared with the Shang Dynasty. Sandy and muddy gray pottery in this period is mainly used to make cooking utensils such as Ding, Bi, Bi, Dou, Bi, pan, can, Zun, etc., but rarely used as drinking water and drinking utensils See you.

The shape of this cudgel is basically the same as that of the bronze cudgel. This is not a special situation. The inner and outer range of the bronze ware is formed by heating after the clay is made. Strictly speaking, except for the larger or complex shape of the bronze ware, most of the simple shape of the bronze ware has the pottery type before the bronze ware. Most of the potteries we see today are more crude and rough than the bronzes. The reason lies in the different identities of the users, the different functions of the utensils (most of the bronzes are ritual utensils) and the different material performance. The pottery of the Western Zhou Dynasty is mainly practical, and the decoration is generally simple.

Compared with the Shang Dynasty, the hard pottery with printed patterns in the Western Zhou Dynasty was improved greatly, with more delicate and hard body, mostly brown or gray; more varieties, such as cans, ampoules, pots and zuns; and more decorative patterns. The main producers of hard pottery are the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the southeast coast. The products are distributed all over the country and often coexist with primitive porcelain.

It is a standard instrument with solemn shape, strong practicability, gorgeous decoration, and full of decorative patterns. At the same time, it can clearly see the traces of impressions.

The urn is a rare type of bronze ware, but as a practical one, it is an important one. The ceramic ware of the Western Zhou Dynasty is completely out of the category of ritual utensils and is practical utensils.

Primitive porcelain flourished in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and primitive porcelain or porcelain pieces were unearthed everywhere. In this period, primitive porcelain was gray or gray white, and its glaze color was turquoise, yellowish green, and soy sauce. There were more than ten kinds of varieties, such as beans, bowls, pans, and so on. The underglaze decoration was different. The Shang Dynasty mainly used plain porcelain, and borrowed from the pattern of hard pottery, which was quite rich. From the unearthed remains, it is very obvious that primitive porcelain has begun to replace a large number of printed hard pottery and gray pottery.

The following three pieces of primitive porcelain are all from the tombs of the Western Zhou Dynasty in Tunxi, Anhui Province. A total of more than 70 pieces of primitive porcelain, as well as some printed hard pottery, were unearthed from the two tombs. These artifacts are now in the Anhui Provincial Museum.

The decoration is simple and changeable, but gorgeous, and the glaze is bright.

This ware is full of charm, and gives full play to the material characteristics of porcelain. The top is made in bird head shape, and the body is decorated with the Xuanwen pattern naturally formed by the ware. With the help of horizontal ears and hands, the whole ware is smooth, natural, integrated and vivid. It has an incomparable natural rhythm like bronze ware!

This is a unique combination of modeling, under the round ban, ban often appears in the combination of bronzes, mostly square. There are four bowls on the top of Yuanjin, and another one on the top of Yuanjin sticks with the two bowls on the bottom to form a whole vessel. The function of this vessel needs to be studied, but it is not an isolated product. There are seven cups on the top of Yuanjin from the same tomb. This device must be a practical one, so the life of Zhou people should be full of fun.