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In Chinese, "Guan" means the government. The Guan Kiln was the government kiln only producing fine porcelains for the royal family and court. There were Northern Song Guan Kiln and Southern Song Guan Kiln, according to different Dynasties. The Northern Song Guan Kiln was founded in 1107. It was abandoned with the perdition of the dynasty in 1127. In the same year the Southern Song Dynasty was established and the new government built up another government Guan Kiln in Hangzhou which was called the Xiu Nei Si Guan Kiln. Soon later a second Southern Song Guan Kiln the Jiao Tan Kiln was established nearby. The two Guan Kilns made imperial utilities during the Southern Song Dynasty.

The Northern Song Guan Kiln's porcelains was similar to the Ru Kiln: the roughcast was strong and smooth, the glaze was clear and shining. The Southern Song Kiln's porcelains had light green, gray or yellow glaze. There were many crackles on the surface, making it similar to another famous kiln the Ge Kiln's porcelains. The upper rim of the porcelains had a purplish color while the lower rim had a dark iron color. This was called "the purple mouth and iron foot".

Both the Northern Song Guan Kiln and Xiu Nei Si Guan Kiln's exact location have been found by archeologists. Some scholars thought that some of today's so-called Ge Kiln's porcelains actually came from the Xiu Nei Si Guan Kiln because they have the same crackle patterns but it has not been proofed.

 

Background Knowledge: History of China

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