Numbered Jun Ware – a Technical Study

ABSTRACT This paper describes a multi-center collaborative project involving curators, conservators, scientists and artists to investigate the Chinese ceramics known as numbered Jun Ware. This rare group of high-quality stoneware, which probably originates from the early fifteenth century, consists of flower pots and matching basins. They are most often decorated with a thick purple glaze on the exterior and a blue glaze on the interior, but some examples have blue glazes on both surfaces. A scientific investigation of their manufacturing process was performed through two main analytical approaches. First, computed radiography showed that most vessels were either wheel-thrown or mold-made. One group, however, combines both techniques, and were wheel-thrown in one piece before being molded. Second, analytical techniques, namely X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were carried out to study the elemental and chemical composition of glazes. The results show a clear separation between traditional and numbered Jun, supporting the argument for a different period of production.