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Visit Henan, Explore China Episode IV: Sancai, a Mirror of Tang Dynasty

Source:dahe.cn Published:2022-08-10 09:05

Editor's note: In a letter replying to senior experts at the National Museum of China on July 8, 2022, President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed firming up cultural confidence, preserving the fine accomplishments of Chinese civilization and using cultural relics to promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations. Henan, with the largest number of ancient kiln sites, has produced the most complete range of ceramic products in China. Generally speaking, the Henan-centered Chinese ceramic culture could be considered as one of the important cultural heritages nurtured by the Yellow River culture. Starting on August 2, we are launching the "Visit Henan, Explore China" series, featuring 6 short videos to help you catch a glimpse of wonderful Henan and brilliant Chinese civilization. Here is the fourth episode: Sancai, a Mirror of Tang Dynasty.

编者按:2022年7月8日,习近平总书记在给中国国家博物馆老专家的回信中强调,推动文物活化利用,推进文明交流互鉴,守护好、传承好、展示好中华文明优秀成果。作为文物大省的河南,不仅是中国品种最全的陶瓷产区,而且还是拥有古陶瓷窑址数量最多的省份,可以说以河南为中心的中国陶瓷文化是黄河文化孕育出的重要文化遗产之一。2022年8月2日起,大河网推出6期双语特别报道——“在河南,遇见China”。让我们一起,通过陶瓷文化,“豫”见中华文明。今日推出第4期:《三彩里的大唐华韵》。


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NB: This is not a word-for-word transcript

 

In last episode, we learned about the story of white porcelain. Today, let's go and have a look at tri-colored glazed porcelain or Sancai.

在上一期报道中,我们了解了历史悠久、闻名中外的白瓷。今天,让我们走近唐朝一起领略三彩的魅力吧!


A screenshot from the video above


Tang Dynasty (618-907), one of the most prosperous dynasties in China, made great achievements in politics, economy, culture and diplomacy. The ancient Silk Road facilitated Tang's cultural exchanges with other countries, so the porcelain of Tang formed a unique style. The world-renowned Sancai grew exquisite in the early Tang.

唐朝,中国古代最强盛的朝代之一,在政治、经济、文化、外交等方面均取得了很高的成就。经过古丝绸之路频繁地对外交流,唐朝的瓷器形成了独特的艺术风格,著名的三彩就兴起于初唐时期。

 

Sancai is famed for different-color glazes, mainly yellow, green and white. As a representative of Chinese ceramics, Sancai builds a bridge between China and the world. 

三彩以黄、绿、白三色为主,故称三彩。三彩作为中国陶瓷的杰出代表,为中国与世界的交流搭建了桥梁。


A Sancai vase of the Tang Dynasty. [Photo/dahe.cn]


The picture above shows us a Sancai vase of the Tang Dynasty, with a plate-shaped mouth, slender neck, protruding body, round foot and three-color glazes, which is simple yet elegant.

上图是一件烧制于唐朝时期的三彩盘口瓶,束颈、鼓腹、圈足、施三色釉,色彩分明,古朴典雅。


Sancai is a shining pearl of porcelains of ancient China and boosts a history of more than 1,300 years. In 1905, at the construction site of the Lanzhou-Lianyungang railway (Luoyang section), a series of Tang tombs were discovered with a large number of Sancai wares unearthed. These wares were usually called Tang Sancai and the name is still used today. Since Luoyang discovered the world's earliest and largest number of Sancai wares, they are also known as "Luoyang Tang Sancai". With these Sancai wares, we can imagine how prosperous the Tang Dynasty was more than a thousand years ago.

三彩是中国古代陶瓷烧制工艺的珍品,距今已有1300多年的历史。1905年,陇海铁路洛阳段修筑期间,在古都洛阳北邙山发现一批唐代墓葬,发现了为数众多的三彩随葬品,后来人们习惯地把这类瓷器称为“唐三彩”,并且沿用至今,享誉中外。因三彩最早、最多出土于河南省洛阳市,亦有“洛阳唐三彩”之称。透过这些“唐三彩”,我们可以充分领略到千年前的大唐华韵。


A Sancai ware of the Song Dynasty. [Photo/dahe.cn]


Do you know that after the Tang Dynasty, Sancai porcelain was kept in production in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Apart from Cizhou kilns, Dengfeng, Xiuwu and Baofeng in Henan were their main producers. Kiln sites of Sancai porcelain of the Song Dynasty were also discovered in the Zhitian village of Gongyi city. Besides, as the birthplace of Tang Sancai, Nanshishan village of Mengjin county, Luoyang city, earns a reputation of the "No.1 Village of Tang Sancai Culture in China". Nanshishan-made Sancai works have been frequently presented to foreign guests as State gifts because of their exquisite craftsmanship.

你知道吗?继唐朝之后,宋朝仍继续生产三彩器,磁州窑系各窑及河南的登丰、修武、宝丰等地为其主要生产区域,在河南巩义芝田村也曾发现宋三彩窑址。而且,位于洛阳孟津县朝阳镇的南石山村,是闻名中外的唐三彩发源地,被称为“中国唐三彩文化第一村。”因唐三彩仿古技艺精湛,产品曾被当作礼品被国家领导人赠送外宾。

 



策划:王曦辉 张培君

文案:赵汉青

出镜:杨佳欣

制作:何蒙贺

审校:张军平


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Editor:Zhao Hanqing