Production and Aesthetics of Qingbai Porcelain in the Song Dynasty: A Case Study of a Thin-Walled Yingqing Bowl Excavated from a Song-Jin Ancient Street

Qingbai porcelain, pioneered by kilns in Jingdezhen during the Song Dynasty, is characterized by a delicate body and a glaze harmonizing celadon and white. The exceptionally thin-walled variants, which are translucent upon illumination, have been termed "Yingqing" since the late Qing Dynasty. In this study, the aesthetic features of thin-walled Yingqing porcelain were explored by thoroughly reviewing the body-glaze formulations, manufacturing techniques, and kiln distributions, and its aesthetic features are fundamentally anchored in its distinctive glaze. Subsequently, its widespread popularity is interpreted through the lens of the literati-dominated aesthetic paradigms during the Song Dynasty. Additionally, a case study was performed on a restored Yingqing bowl excavated from the Song-Jin ancient street ruins in Dengzhou. Drawing upon restoration records and comparison with contemporaneous wares produced in Jingdezhen, we concluded that northern Yingqing porcelain tried to emulate southern stylistic models, while it was inherently constrained by the limitation of local raw materials. As a result, a uniquely mellow and celadon-tinged character was developed for northern Yingqing porcelain. The prevalence of these ceramics reflects an effective integration of advanced production technology and refined literati taste.