Underside of a lobed Ding bowl, Song dynasty (960-1279). Diameter 17.5 cm. Height 4.8 cm. Provenance: From the Collection of Dr Emil Hultmark (1872-1943), Purchased from Bluett & Son, London, label no 85. Emil Hultmark was one of the co-founders of the "Kinaklubben" (China Club) in Stockholm in the 1920's with Carl Kempe (1884-1967) and the Crown Prince Gustav Adolf.
Ding ware (Ting ware) is a white ware produced at the Ding kilns in Ding Xian (modern Quyang), Hebei Province, south west of Beijing. Production was already established by the time of the Northern Song dynasty (960 to 1127), and reached its peak during the eleventh century. It represents the finest of the northern white wares and was the first to be accepted for imperial use.
This white northern Song dynasty ware is characterized by its ivory tone, elegant forms and thin walls. It was made at the Ding kilns in the Hebei Province and reached its high point during the eleventh century. Ding wares are the best of the Song dynasty white wares. It features mold-impressed and incised floral designs on high-fired, grey-bodied ware covered over with ivory-white slips and clear glazes.
Ding ware was produced in Ding Xian (modern Chu-yang), Hebei Province, slightly south-west of Beijing. Already in production when the Song emperors came to power in 940, Ding ware was the finest porcelain produced in northern China at the time, and was the first to enter the palace for official imperial use. Its paste is white, generally covered with an almost transparent glaze that dripped and collected in "tears," (though some Ding ware was glazed a monochrome black or brown, white was the much more common type).
Overall, the Ding aesthetic relied more on its elegant shape than ostentatious decoration; designs were understated, either incised or stamped into the clay prior to glazing. Due to the way the dishes were stacked in the kiln, the edged remained unglazed, and had to be rimmed in metal such as gold or silver when used as tableware. Some hundred years later, a Southern Song era writer commented that it was this defect that led to its demise as favored imperial ware. Since the Song court lost access to these northern kilns when they fled south, it has been argued that Qingbai ware was viewed as a replacement for Ding.
Ding wares were fired in kilns known either as mantou kilns (饅頭窯 bread bun kilns) or horse-shoe shaped kilns. These kilns were typical of north China in the Song dynasty and were cross-draught kilns capable of achieving the high temperatures - in the region of 1300 oC - needed to fire the high alumina Ding ware clay successfully.
The disadvantage of the mantou kilns was that they had a relatively small firing chamber, while the refined Ding white vessels needed to be protected from kiln debris by being placed in saggars (fire clay boxes), which took up additional space within the kiln. In order to allow the firing of more than one vessel within a single saggar, without leaving a disfiguring mark on either vessel, stepped setters and 'L'-shaped ring setters were developed. The Ding wares could then be fired using the fushao 覆焼 upside-down method, in which the mouth rim of the vessel was wiped clean of glaze and it was fired upside-down, standing on its mouth rim. Thus, pieces of ascending size could be fired on a stepped setter, while dishes of the same size could be fired in the 'L'-shaped ring setters. Kiln implements of both this kind are found in the Hutian area just next to Jingdezhen all but proving a transfer of knowledge to the South.
It is worth remembering that numerous kilns in both the North and the South imitated Ding ware.
Ongoing revision, from here and downwards to be edited
Ding ware is among the most refined of Song wares. These subtle, beautifully potted, vessels can be plain or decorated with free-flowing hand carved design as well as intricate mold-impressed decoration. There is literary evidence that Ting ware was among those ceramics supplied to the Northern Sung (960-1127) court.
The thinness resulting in unusually light pieces. Connoisseurs have long recognized that runs of glaze, which they termed "tear-drops", characteristically appear on the exteriors of Ding vessels. Composed almost entirely of kaolin (China clay), the bodies of Ding vessels are only slightly translucent, transmitting a warm orange light if they transmit light at all. Because the potters grasped the bowls very tightly to dip them in the glaze slurry, genuine Ding bowls almost always have fingernail impressions on the exterior walls of their foot rims, as well as fingerprint interruptions in the surrounding glaze.
Made in Dingzhou in western central Hebei province, Ding ware was ranked among the "five great wares of the Song", along with Jun. Ru, Guan and Ge ware. Ding wares which was fired upside down leaving the rim bare of glaze was the favored imperial ware during Northern Song dynasty in the late tenth, eleventh and early twelfth centuries until it was replaced by the Celadon colored Ru ware from the kilns of Ru-zhou.
Much of the later Ding ware was made by a combination of throwing and moulding, usually by firmly beating thickly-thrown leather hard dishes and bowls onto convex pottery moulds. The backs of the bowls, dishes and plates were then turned down to a fine thinness, with their feet sometimes finished with a hand-held profile in a way that anticipated modern jiggering.
The molded designs seen on late Northern Song and Jin dynasty Ding wares are particularly fine. Not only is the body material of the vessels themselves very fine-grained, but the molds made to decorate them were also made of similarly fine-grained clay. This material allowed very precise cutting of the intaglio design into the surface of the mold. It was, however, the skill of the mold makers at the Ding kilns that produced the careful and minute modulation of the design that would appear in low relief on the surface of the finished Ding vessel. The fact that the molds were fired only to a low temperature, and were still very porous when used, allowed them to draw water from the clay of the damp vessels pressed onto them, facilitating the more precise impression.
Numerous kilns in both northern and southern China produced imitations of Ding ware, sometimes closely copying its forms, decoration, and techniques.
Silver vessels influenced both the shape and designs of several types of Northern Sung (960-1127) and Chin (1115-1234) white wares.
Ding ware (Ting ware) is a high fired white ware produced at the Ding kilns in Ding Xian (modern Quyang), Hebei Province, south west of Beijing. Production was established before the Northern Song dynasty (960 to 1127) and reached its peak during the eleventh century. It is regarded as the finest of the northern white wares and was the first of these to be accepted for imperial use.
Body and material
The body (paste) is fine grained and composed largely of kaolin (China clay), fired to high temperature, around 1300 °C. Despite this, it remains only slightly translucent, typically transmitting a warm orange light if at all. Compared to southern porcelains, see Jingdezhen ware and Qingbai ware, the degree of vitrification is lower and the body appears more opaque.
Glaze
The glaze is usually a clear, almost transparent ivory white. It often runs slightly during firing, forming characteristic streaks known as “tear drops” on the exterior. Less common monochrome variants in black or brown are also known.
Form and potting
Ding ware is characterized by thin walls, light weight, and well balanced, elegant forms. Many vessels were made using a combination of throwing and molding. Thickly thrown, leather hard pieces were pressed onto convex molds, then turned down to achieve fine thinness. This process anticipates later techniques such as jiggering.
Decoration
The aesthetic relies primarily on form rather than elaborate decoration. Ornament is typically understated and consists of incised or mold impressed designs, often floral, applied before glazing. The molds were made from fine grained, low fired clay, allowing them to remain porous and draw moisture from the vessel wall, enabling precise transfer of intaglio designs in low relief.
Kilns and firing
Ding wares were fired in northern cross draught kilns known as mantou kilns (bread bun kilns), horse shoe shaped structures typical of north China. These kilns could reach the high temperatures required for firing the clay body but had relatively small firing chambers.
Saggars and kiln furniture
To protect vessels from kiln debris, they were placed in saggars (fire clay boxes), reducing available space. To maximize kiln capacity, specialized kiln furniture was developed, including stepped setters and L shaped ring setters, allowing multiple vessels to be stacked and fired within a single saggar without damage.
Firing method (fushao)
Ding ware was typically fired using the fushao method, meaning upside down firing. The rim was wiped free of glaze and the vessel placed mouth down during firing. This left the rim unglazed. When used as tableware, the rim was often fitted with metal mounts, such as silver or gold. See also rim, foot ring.
Glazing method and handling marks
Glaze was applied by immersion (dipping) in a liquid glaze. The vessel was held upside down during this process. As a result, handling marks are often visible near the foot ring. These appear as small unglazed areas, typically grouped as three or four fingertip marks, or as sharper nail impressions where the potter gripped the piece. These are glazing grip marks and should not be confused with firing support marks. See also glaze application.
Translucency
Although fired at high temperature, Ding ware is only slightly translucent. In thin sections it may transmit a warm light, but it lacks the clear translucency seen in southern porcelains made from porcelain stone (petuntse) and kaolin. For comparison, see Jingdezhen ware, Qingbai ware, and porcelain.
Historical context
Ding ware was the preferred imperial ware of the Northern Song court. A Southern Song source later suggested that the unglazed rim was considered a defect, contributing to its decline in favor. After the court moved south and lost access to the northern kilns, Qingbai ware from Jiangxi is often considered to have replaced it.
Classification
Ding ware is traditionally counted among the “Five Great Wares” of the Song dynasty, together with Ru ware, Guan ware, Ge ware, and Jun ware.
Imitations
Numerous kilns in both northern and southern China produced imitations of Ding ware, sometimes closely copying its forms, decoration, and techniques. See also white wares.
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