A Primary Study On Porcelain-making Tools From Tang To Yuan Dynasties In Northern China

Among present archaeological context,porcelain-making tools were mainly excavated in ancient porcelain kiln.Scholars of ancient porcelain have always focused on products and kiln furnitures,but researches on porcelain-making tools were somewhat rare.Researches on porcelain-making tools will make sense significantly because they are close related to porcelain technique.This paper conducts an archaeological study targeting porcelain-making tools from Tang to Yuan Dynasty in northern China.Based on the function of relevant remains,the tools are classified.Characteristics of tools from different periods are also summarized according to the stratums and porcelains coexisting with the tools and chronological conclusions of excavators.Subsequently,relationship between porcelain-making tools and technique is discussed under a chronological view.Finally,inscriptions on porcelain-making tools are briefly introduced.Contents of this paper are introduced as follow:In the first chapter,preface,significance,targets and methods of this paper are briefly introduced.In the second chapter,excavations and academic history,the range of northern China is identified clearly,and the excavations of different types of porcelain-making tools from different provinces are briefly introduced and described.Relative researches from ancient documents and previous papers about these tools are also summarized.In the third chapter,porcelain-making tools from Tang to Yuan Dynasty in northern China are divided into 4 kinds,including raw material processing tools,shaping tools,decorating tools,glazing tools.Shaping tools involve wheeling tools,fettling tools and molds.Decorating tools involve inscribing tools,stamping tools and decal tools.In the fourth chapter,the characteristics of different periods,including types and quantities of porcelain-making tools,from Tang to Yuan Dynasty are summarized according to the products co-existing with the tools.In the fifth chapter,relationships between porcelain-making tools and techniques are analyzed firstly.Subsequently,inscriptions on the tools are briefly intr oduced,under a view of different types and functions of porcelain-making tools.In the sixth chapter is conclusion.Contents of the paper are summarized and limitations of the paper are also pointed out.