Ru ware and the Ru kiln
Ru Porcelain and Ru Ware: One Land, One Unbroken Kiln Flame
When people talk about famous Chinese porcelains of the Song dynasty, “Ru ware” and “Ru porcelain” are often confused.
The two are closely related, but they are not exactly the same.
More importantly, “Ru porcelain” today refers not only to a traditional type of porcelain, but also to a national geographical indication product with a clearly defined regional origin (GB/T 23397-2009, Geographical Indication Products—Ru Porcelain).
| Comparison | Ru porcelain | Ru ware |
|---|---|---|
| Geographical indication |
Has a national geographical indication product standard GB/T 23397-2009, Geographical Indication Products—Ru Porcelain |
No |
| Glaze surface | Mostly glossy; the glaze does not have one fixed color, but varies subtly with the light, glaze thickness, and firing conditions, creating a lively, richly layered visual effect | Mostly matte, with a softer, more subdued surface and comparatively less variation in color |
| Glaze color | Not limited to a single glaze color: shades such as sky blue and pale celadon vary naturally with firing conditions, giving each piece its own kiln-transformation effects | Glaze color is relatively stable, creating a more uniform overall appearance |
| Glazing method | Fired on support pins and fully glazed all over; except where the support pins touch, glaze is applied to as much of the vessel as possible, giving it a complete, jade-like glazed surface | Traditional pieces are often fired on ring feet, with different glazing methods used on the foot and body |
| Appearance and feel | Aims for the complete effect of a fully glazed vessel with a jade-like surface, requiring precise control of glazing and firing | Places greater emphasis on the overall presentation of traditional forms and glaze colors |
| Body | One of its defining features is the traditionally named incense-ash body, with a gray-white, ash-like color | Traditional Ru ware bodies are generally gray-white or off-white, differing from the incense-ash body characteristic of modern Ru porcelain |
| Glaze characteristics | Traditional Ru porcelain craft calls for agate to be incorporated into the glaze. Glaze formulation and firing conditions must be controlled with great precision; the process is highly sensitive to kiln temperature, atmosphere, and glaze thickness | The glaze system of traditional Ru ware differs from that of Ru porcelain, and firing is comparatively easier to stabilize |
| Firing technique | Support-pin firing + full-body glazing; the process must simultaneously control the vessel form, glaze layer, support marks, temperature, and kiln atmosphere, making it relatively risky | The traditional ring-foot firing method is relatively well established, and firing is comparatively easier to control |
| Yield | The demanding craft and the sensitivity of the glaze and support-pin firing to firing conditions mean that the yield is relatively low | Firing conditions are comparatively easier to control, so the yield is relatively high |
| Production costs | Support-pin firing, full-body glazing, and the challenging control of glaze colors make labor, materials, and firing more costly | Traditional firing methods are relatively well established, so process control and production costs are comparatively lower |
| Core craft value | Characterized by full-body glazing, support-pin firing, an incense-ash body, and rich glaze-color variations, it seeks a visual and tactile effect in which the entire vessel feels like jade | Emphasizes traditional Ru ware forms and glaze colors, and the continuation of the Song-dynasty Ru ware style |
1. What is Ru ware?
In “Ru ware,” the word “ware” refers primarily to the kiln, the ceramic industry, and its firing system.
The Ru kiln of the Song dynasty was an important kiln in the history of Chinese ceramics, renowned for its elegant, understated celadon-glazed wares. It is counted among the great kilns of the Song dynasty, along with the official, Ge, Jun, and Ding kilns.
Thus, “Ru ware” is primarily a historical kiln and ceramic-culture concept.
2. What is Ru porcelain?
“Ru porcelain” refers to porcelain and its craft tradition, developed and passed down on the basis of Ruzhou’s regional culture and the Ru kiln tradition.
Unlike celadon in general, Ru porcelain has a clearly defined regional cultural origin.
The national standard GB/T 23397-2009, Geographical Indication Products—Ru Porcelain establishes the applicable standard for “Ru porcelain” as a geographical indication product.
This means that “Ru porcelain” is not simply a label for a particular celadon glaze or crackle pattern.
It represents a product shaped by the combination of:
specific place of origin + traditional craftsmanship + product characteristics + regional culture
These elements together form a geographical indication product.
3. Why does “Ru porcelain” emphasize its place of origin?
The “Ru” in Ru porcelain first comes from the land of Ruzhou.
Historically, Ruzhou and its surrounding areas were important centers of Ru kiln culture and Ru porcelain production.
Because Ru porcelain has a long-standing and stable historical, craft, and quality connection to this specific region, it has been included in the national geographical indication product protection system.
Therefore, to determine whether a product qualifies as protected Ru porcelain, it is not enough to check whether it is sky blue, has a crackle pattern, or is labeled “Ru ware.”
Its place of origin and compliance with the relevant national standards and geographical indication product requirements are equally important.
4. How does Ru porcelain differ from “Ru ware-style ceramics”?
Today, the market offers many products labeled “Ru ware teacups,” “Ru ware-style tea sets,” and “sky-blue-glazed ceramics.”
Their glaze colors, forms, and even crackle effects may closely resemble those of traditional Ru porcelain.
But:
A similar appearance does not make a product geographical indication Ru porcelain.
If similar products are made in other regions and merely draw on Ru ware’s glaze colors, forms, or artistic style, more accurate descriptions would be:
Ru ware-style ceramics, Ru ware-inspired ceramics, or imitation Ru porcelain.
Only products that meet the prescribed geographical area and relevant standards qualify as “Ru porcelain” in the sense of a national geographical indication.
5. Ru ware is history; Ru porcelain is its legacy
The difference can be summed up simply:
Ru ware refers to the historical kiln and firing system; Ru porcelain is the porcelain and craft tradition that carries Ruzhou’s regional culture and the Ru kiln tradition into the present.
The Ru kiln of the Song dynasty left behind a classic legacy in the history of Chinese ceramics.
Ru porcelain today keeps that thousand-year-old kiln flame burning in modern life.
In every cup, teapot, and vessel, what continues is not only the sky-blue glaze, but also Ruzhou’s regional culture and a thousand years of ceramic heritage.
One land, one unbroken kiln flame.
A thousand years of Ru ware; Ru porcelain today.