Glazed and unglazed ceramics look particularly good in this gallery, which is lit through its original skylights, rather than through artificial museum lighting

Walking into the current exhibition, Moondance: ceramics and paintings from the collection, we were immediately drawn to and struck by the strength of the blue glazes lit by the natural light.

These glazes are commonly called celadon. However, for the reasons discussed below we prefer to call them green ware. Green ware is a family of classic Chinese green/blue glazes that evoke the colour and qualities of jade/the sea/the sky. These glazes are produced by firing at high temperatures (above 1260 °C) in a kiln starved of oxygen (in reduction). The colour is the result of a small amount of iron present in the glaze and can range from sky blue through to smoky grey-green.

“The blue of the sky as seen through rifts in the cloud after rain”, Tichane as cited by Currie describing green ware. (Currie, 1985, Stoneware Glazes)

“Cool transparent green, smokey gray-green, opalescent blue. The depth of color and character reminiscent of a large body of water.” (Studio Potter Vol 27, 1 P.29, 1998).

‘Celadon’ appears to be a somewhat arbitrary European name, with a distinct colonial flavour, and is thought to come from a character in a 17th century play by Honoré d'Urfé who wore green ribbons and coat. The term ‘green ware’, a translation from the Chinese ‘qing ci’, is the term that has been longer in use. We consider that this latter term is preferable in order to honour the history and development of this family of glazes in Asia and avoid too much of a Eurocentric perspective on Asian ceramic arts.

The green ware glaze technique originated in China around 1046-256 BC. The glaze family spread across various regions of China creating different revered green ware traditions. Depending on the kiln location, green ware glazes range from olive green, pastel and sea-green to a distinct bluey-green or sky blue coloured glaze. Green ware glaze production subsequently spread to other parts of East Asia, including Japan, Korea and Thailand. The glazes were produced using iron-containing clays/stone, limestone and ash, and fired in kilns fueled with wood or coal.

The three works by Peter Rushford currently on display are glazed in a blue opalescent glaze known as Chun/Jun which was first developed during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Chun is within the green ware glaze continuum and the opaque blue is essentially an optical effect created by light refracting off the inside of bubbles trapped in the glaze.

Green ware glazes are an ancient glaze family that tell the story of how high fired ceramics were developed using simple materials and sophisticated firing methods to turn these into objects of enduring and sublime beauty. It is a pleasure to see modern versions of this ancient glaze family and to contemplate their long history and our pottery ancestors.

Rye Senjen and Kirstie Murdoch

December 2024