How porcelain became an essential part of the lives of the Song Dynasty.
Why we love the Sung dynasty exploring the history and charm of one of China's most fascinating dynasties episode 19 the Zen of Porcelain in this podcast, we're going to look at how porcelain became an essential part of the lives of the people of the Sung dynasty.
I'm Bob Jones, and in this why we love the Song dynasty podcast, I'm throwing the spotlight on what was to become one of China's most iconic dynasties in the country's long and colorful history.
So we know that the time of the Sung dynasty was very prosperous and that its people like collecting things together, feathering their nests, you could say.
You might expect that this new found wealth would translate into grandeur and extravagance.
Think of the victorian era in England, for example.
Yes, we see this in things like the tea ceremony at the higher levels, where the best tea was expected for the emperor served in the best crockery and in the best surroundings.
But the word best here maybe, should be understood as appropriate.
In many other aspects of the Sung society, a sense of appreciation, of simplicity, was the order of the day.
This attitude finding its roots in Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.
Simple was beautiful.
The demand for nice things and nice things to go with nice things boosted manufacturing and craftsmanship.
Making porcelain was no exception.
During the Sung dynasty, kilns were built all over the country to satisfy demand, and that demand was for monochromatic, glazed, functional simplicity.
Sung porcelain is beautiful.
Beautiful because of its high quality and because of its gentility.
It is unadorned and elegant, as well as perhaps inspiring reflection, contemplation and mildness, all attributes that have come to describe the Sung society.
It's all about Zen.
Let's touch on Xen for a moment, shall we?
In the west, it's taken on a bit of a momentum of its own in finding a mass appeal.
It's maybe lost sight of some of its roots, which the Sung dynasty, of course, would have been much, much closer to.