Bring Me A Glaze Like the Sky After Rain: Imperial Ceramics Of The Northern And Southern Song Dynasties

The National Palace Museum houses one of the world finest collections of Chinese ceramics, of which the delicate, almost minimalist wares of the Song dynasty are an undisputed highlight. The Song emperor reportedly commanded his workshops to produce a vessel "the colour of the sky after rain". The result was Ru ware - subtle masterpieces of both form and colour. 

This talk discusses the technological and artistic innovations that allowed the potters of Song China to meet such seemingly impossible requests, alongside the reasons why these masterpieces have continued to be so highly prized throughout the following centuries, fetching prices of over GBP17million in Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2012. 

Stacey Pierson is the former curator of the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. A specialist in Chinese ceramics, she is currently a senior lecturer on the subject at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Beth McKillop is currently the Deputy Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and formerly the Keeper of the Asian department.
 Part of the Treasures of the National Palace Museum, Taipei lecture series.

Visit asiahouse.org/exhibitions-and-events/detail?id=232 for more information