The Origin of Ru Porcelain

Ru porcelain represents a famous type of Chinese ceramic tea set. Ruyao originated in the late Song dynasty, about 700 years ago. Craftsmen in Ruzhou (汝州) built the kiln, giving the style its name: Ru Yao or "Ru Kiln."

The Song dynasty had five famous kilns: Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun, and Ding. The court labeled Ru Kiln as the best and used it to produce ceramics for the Emperor and his family.

Today, only 67 pieces from that time survive. True Ruyao ceramics now represent luxury in the tea world, reflecting their royal history.

Today, Jingdezhen Masters revive the art of Ruyao by using traditional recipes and methods. As the technique evolves, modern craftsmen create Ruyao pieces that closely resemble those from the Song Dynasty. Ancient evidence shows that craftsmen in the Song Dynasty developed Ruyao at Qing Liang Temple (清凉寺). In this small temple, they created the unique recipe for this extraordinary pottery—Ruyao.

Qing Liang Temple 清凉寺

Ru Kiln in Auctions

Though surviving examples are rare, Ruyao continues to capture the attention of collectors worldwide. Whether in the hands of public museums or private collectors, Ruyao's beauty and craftsmanship continue to impress.

Sotheby's auctioned the Ru bowl (brush washer bowl) in 2017, and it sold for 38 million USD.

How to tell if Ru porcelain is real

• Identifying Characteristics of Ru Porcelain from the Song Dynasty: Shape

Ru kiln produced celadon porcelain as part of the Yaozhou kiln system. The imperial court recognized its sky-blue glaze and selected it to make tribute items. The kiln created a variety of standardized shapes. Initially, Ru kiln copied Yue kiln’s celadon, particularly the flared foot, but later improved upon and surpassed it.

• Identifying Characteristics of Ru Porcelain from the Song Dynasty: Body Features

Ru porcelain from the Song Dynasty has three main body characteristics: First, it is light and thin. Second, the body color is ash gray, with a light and thin texture. The body appears coarse but is actually dense and fine in quality. Third, the body is smooth, fine, and compact, often praised as having a "bronze-like" quality.

• Identifying Characteristics of Ru Porcelain from the Song Dynasty: Body Color

Ru porcelain from the Song Dynasty has a delicate body, containing small amounts of copper. When held against the light, a faint reddish tint is visible. The body color is gray with a slight yellowish hue, often referred to as "fragrant ash body."

• Identifying Characteristics of Ru Porcelain from the Song Dynasty: Glaze Color

Ru kiln used a high-aluminum, low-silicon glaze, which was a type of lime glaze. The glaze was thin and evenly applied, with a smooth and lustrous finish that resembled jade.

Among all Song Dynasty kilns, Ru porcelain has the most varied glaze colors. The dominant colors are sky blue and sky green, with other shades like moon white appearing as well.

• Identifying Characteristics of Ru Porcelain from the Song Dynasty: Crackle Patterns

Ru porcelain from the Song Dynasty is famous for its crackle patterns, which form when the glaze cracks during firing. The cracks are fine and close together, forming diagonal lines of different depths. These cracks create patterns that look like shiny fish scales or cicada wings, giving a sense of layered texture.