A Comparative Study Of Xing Kiln And Ding Kiln White Porcelain

This thesis mainly conducts comparative study of two representative sites for northern white porcelain- Xing Kiln and Ding Kiln.Located in the Tai Hang Mountain in He Bei province and being only one hundred and seventy kilometers away from each other, the Xing Kiln and Ding Kiln produce white porcelain and both Kilns show the brilliant performance. Archaeologists have obtained precious firsthand materials by carrying out archaeological investigation and excavation in these two Kilns. Besides, they have conducted studies on white porcelain pieces, furnaces, kiln furniture, raw materials, fire craft, the types of objects, decoration patterns, and so on and have made great achievements.In this paper, on the basis of predecessors’ research, the author conducts comparative study on the Xing and Ding Kilns’ utensils by adopting USES typology method. The similarities and differences between the two Kilns are analyzed and their cultural connotations are discussed. The study on the influence of political, economic and cultural development at that time will enable us to further understand the development of Xing Kiln and Ding Kiln.The first chapter is the introduction, which mainly includes the significance, the research status, research methods, and the innovation of the study, etc.The second chapter mainly introduces white porcelain of Xing Kiln in detail, including its origin, craftsmanship, the types of kiln’s utensils, etc.The third chapter, based on the other relevant studies, elaborates on white porcelain of Ding Kiln by introducing its origin, craftsmanship and the types of kiln’s utensils, etc.The fourth chapter draws a comparison between utensils of Xing Kiln and those of Ding Kiln. Both kilns are excellent models for firing white porcelain with a wide variety of porcelain and exquisite craftsmanship, which draw great attention from academia and collectors. However, the previous studies mainly focus on the utensils each of the kilns fired; few scholars made comparison between the utensils of these two kilns. Based on what has been introduced in the first two chapters, the chapter conducts comparative studies on bowls, plates, pots, cans, bottles and other household utensils fired by the two kilns so as to find out the influence of the two kilns on each other in their development.The fifth chapter elaborates on the similarities between white porcelain of Xing kiln and that of Ding Kiln and discusses the factors contributing to the similarities. In this chapter, the author explores similarities from the perspective of the variety, shape and style of the utensils. The first factor contributing to the similarities is the geographical position and natural environment; the second factor is the social demand for development; the third one is political and economic factor.The sixth chapter elaborates on the differences between white porcelain of Xing kiln and that of Ding Kiln and explores the factors contributing to these differences. The author mainly focuses on the differences of craftsmanship and implement type between white porcelain of the two kilns. The factors contributing to the differences are discussed. The result shows that the different features of the two kilns can be attributed to the fact that the two kilns make adjustments to meet the needs of the society so as to maintain their position in history.The last part is the conclusion: though the Xing and Ding Kilns were put into operation in different periods, they are mutually complementary and learn from each other. With different focus in their development, they make improvements by learning from and competing against each other. The white porcelain products produced by these two kilns occupy important position in trade and people’s daily life.