This article compiles Yaozhou ware porcelain collected by several famous museums abroad, categorized by vessel form into bowls, plates, dishes, cups, covered bowls, jars, vases, covered boxes, zun vessels, cups, ewers, burners, and pillows.

 

 

 

Yaozhou ware is one of the renowned kilns of ancient China, located in Huangbao Town, Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province, named after its historical association with Yaozhou Prefecture. It is famous for its celadon, spanning the Tang, Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, and stands as an important representative in the history of Chinese ceramics.
Celadon production at the Yaozhou kiln reached two peaks: the late Tang to Five Dynasties period, and the mid-to-late Song to early Jin period.Although the Tang dynasty already produced ceramics in various glazes (such as black glaze, white glaze, and sancai), celadon had not yet matured. During the Five Dynasties, Yaozhou ware advanced rapidly; influenced by the Yue kiln in the south, it successfully produced sky-blue glaze and developed decorative techniques such as carved and incised patterns, becoming the representative of northern celadon.

Tang dynasty, Yaozhou ware black-glazed dragon-head water dropper, left 

Tang dynasty, Yaozhou ware white-ground black-floral decorated washer, right

 

Five Dynasties to Northern Song, Yaozhou ware celadon plum-blossom-shaped cup with applied flying phoenix design, left

Five Dynasties, Yaozhou ware sky-blue glaze sunflower-shaped plate, right  

 

During the Northern Song dynasty, the Yaozhou kiln entered its golden age: celadon output surged, forms became highly varied, and the glaze color stabilized to olive green. The carved decoration technique was especially outstanding, with intricate yet orderly motifs, praised as "as ingenious as cast metal, as refined as carved jade." At this time, the Yaozhou kiln also produced tribute ware for the imperial court, and its products were sold far and wide.

 

Northern Song, Yaozhou ware celadon lotus-shaped zun vessel with carved peony pattern, left

Northern Song, Yaozhou ware celadon shallow bowl with waisted body and carved interlocking peonies, right

 

The Jin dynasty continued the Song style, with moon-white glaze emerging as a new highlight, its texture warm and smooth like jade. After the Yuan dynasty, celadon was gradually replaced by the white-glazed black-decorated ware of the Cizhou kiln, and production scale diminished.

2018 London Sotheby's, Jin dynasty, Yaozhou ware celadon gall-bladder vase, sold for £789,000, left

2025 Hong Kong Christie's, Jin dynasty, Yaozhou ware moon-white glaze gall-bladder vase, sold for HK$7,686,000, right

 

Yaozhou ware celadon is primarily decorated with carved and stamped patterns, with decorative techniques evolving from flat surfaces to three-dimensional forms. Motifs are largely drawn from nature, combining realism with artistic expression. Its body is fine and delicate, the glaze surface smooth and lustrous, and the walls thin and light, embodying the aesthetic ideal of "valuing jade as a symbol of virtue."The Yaozhou kiln not only influenced the development of northern celadon ware but also spread to regions such as the Liao and Jin dynasties through trade and tribute. Today, its craftsmanship has been inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list, and the Chenlu kiln has become an important base for continuing this tradition.

 

 

Bowl

 

 

Tang Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Black-Glazed Bowl

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA

 

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Persimmon-Glazed Bowl

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl

The British Museum

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Raised Ribs

The British Museum

 

NorthernSong Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Flower-Shaped Rim

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

 

Yaozhou ware celadon lotus-petal bowl, Northern Song dynasty

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Song dynasty celadon flower-shaped bowl with carved peony and scrolling vine pattern

National Museum of Korea

 

 

Northern Song dynasty celadon bowl with carved peony pattern

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

Northern Song dynasty (or possibly Five Dynasties) Celadon bowl with lobed rim

Art Institute of Chicago

 

Yaozhou ware celadon six-lobed flower-mouth bowl, Northern Song dynasty

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Yaozhou ware celadon bowl with lotus pattern, Northern Song dynasty

British Museum

Yaozhou ware celadon bowl with lotus pattern, Northern Song dynasty

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Bowl with Lotus Pattern

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Bowl with Incised Floral Pattern

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Dish with Incised Daylily Pattern

Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics

Sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 2025 630,000HKD

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Bowl with Floral Pattern

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Bowl with Floral Pattern

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Open-Mouth Bowl

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Flower-Shaped Rim

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Northern Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Floral Pattern

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

 

Northern Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Lotus Pattern

British Museum

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Floral Design

British Museum

 

Northern Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Floral Design

British Museum

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Children at Play Design

Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

Northern Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Children at Play Design

Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Peony Pattern

 

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Floral Pattern

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Floral Pattern

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln CeladonBowl with Impressed Water Wave and Swimming Fish Pattern

British Museum

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln CeladonBowl with Mandarin Duck and Lotus Pattern

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Molded Bowl with Lotus and Duck Design

 

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Song DynastyYaozhou ware celadon bowl with chrysanthemum petal pattern

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou ware celadon bowl with interlocking chrysanthemum scroll pattern and "Wu" character

 

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song DynastyYaozhou ware celadon bowl with interlocking floral scroll pattern

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou ware celadonBowl with interlocking chrysanthemum scroll pattern

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou ware celadon molded bowl with interlocking chrysanthemum scroll pattern

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Jin Dynasty, Yaozhou ware celadon bowl with chrysanthemum pattern

 

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Green-Glazed Bowl with Molded Duck and Lotus Patterns

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Jin Dynasty(Originally dated to the Five Dynasties)Yaozhou Kiln Green-Glazed Bowl

British Museum

 

Yuan Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Green-Glazed Bowl

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

 

 

 

Dish

 

 

Five Dynasties Green-Glazed Dish with Water Waves and Lotus Leaf Patterns

Art Institute of Chicago

 

Five Dynasties / Early Northern Song DynastyGreen-Glazed Dish with Flower-Shaped Rim

Art Institute of Chicago

 

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

Yaozhou ware white-glazed dish with brown decoration, Northern Song dynasty

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Yaozhou ware celadon dish with wave pattern, Southern Song dynasty

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Yaozhou ware celadon dish with wave pattern, Southern Song dynasty

Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA

 

Yaozhou ware celadon dish with carved wave pattern, Song dynasty

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

Yaozhou ware, Song/Jin dynastyCeladon dish with carved wave and duck pattern

British Museum

Yaozhou ware celadon, Northern Song dynastyCarved dish with wave and duck pattern

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln CeladonThree pieces of carved bowl/plate with wave and duck patterns

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou KilnCeladon plate with swimming duck and lotus pattern

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

 

Jin Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln celadon plate with rhinoceros viewing the moon pattern

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln CeladonCarved peony branch patternFlower plate

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, Japan

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln large celadon plate with carved peony branch pattern

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln CeladonFolded-branch peony pattern

Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, Japan

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon glaze Floral-patterned dish

The British Museum

Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln celadon dish with lotus pattern

The British Museum

 

Northern Song / Jin Celadon dish with incised lotus pattern

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

 Northern Song Dynasty  Yaozhou Kiln celadon dish with incised lotus pattern

 

Northern Song / Jin, Yaozhou Kiln celadon dish with six-lobed rim and stamped peony pattern

National Museum of Korea

Song Dynasty  Yaozhou Ware Celadon Plate with Molded Lotus and "Noble Son" Design

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Jin Dynasty  Yaozhou Ware Celadon Dish with Children at PlayDesign of Interlocking Floral Scrolls

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou WareCeladon Plate with Molded Interlocking Lotus Scrolls on the Inner Base

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

 

 

Dish

 

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Dish with Chrysanthemum-Shaped Rim

British Museum

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Celadon Chrysanthemum-Petal Dish with Carved Rosette Design

National Museum of Korea

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Green-glazed Dish with Incised Floral Design and Scalloped Rim

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Green-glazed Dish with Lion Base

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

 

 

 

Tea Bowl

 

 

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Green-glazed Tea Bowl

British Museum

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Green-glazed Conical Tea Bowl with Chrysanthemum Petal Pattern

British Museum

 

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Green-glazedChrysanthemum Petal PatternTea Bowl

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Chrysanthemum Petal Pattern

Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Bowl with Chrysanthemum Petal Pattern Exterior and Inscription Interior

Collection of the National Museum of Korea

 

Song Dynasty Iron-Rust Glaze Bowl

Harvard University Art Museums

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou KilnCeladon Bowl with Incised Grass Pattern

National Museum of Korea

Song Dynasty Celadon Flower-Shaped Bowl with Incised Peony and Scroll Pattern

National Museum of Korea

Song Dynasty Celadon Flower-Shaped Bowl with Incised Peony and Scroll Pattern

National Museum of Korea

 

 

 

Covered Bowl

 

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Peony Pattern

The British Museum

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Covered Bowl

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Five Dynasties/Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Covered Bowl with Lotus Petal Pattern

National Museum of Korea

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou KilnCeladon Covered Bowl with Incised Floral Design

Ashmolean Museum

 

 

 

Bowl

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Bowl with Lotus Pattern

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Northern Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Bowl with Lotus Pattern

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

Northern Song/Jin dynasty Deep bowl with lotus pond design in green glaze

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

Northern Song dynasty Wheel-shaped bowl with phoenix and scrolling vine design in green glaze

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

 

 

 

Jar

 

 

Five Dynasties, Yaozhou KilnJar with incised floral design in green glaze

Art Institute of Chicago

 

Five Dynasties/Early Northern Song Covered jar with three legs and carved peony design in green glaze

Guimet Museum, France

 

Five Dynasties / Early Northern Song Green-glazed carved jar

Musée Guimet, France

 

Song Dynasty Yaozhou ware celadon jar with carved rosette pattern

National Museum of Korea

Northern Song Yaozhou ware green-glazed jar with carved floral pattern

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Northern Song Yaozhou ware persimmon-glazed covered jar

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

Jin Dynasty Moon-white glazed jar with double handles

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

 

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou ware green-glazed covered jar

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

 

Vase

 

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Carved Peony and Scroll Pattern Vase

Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Japan

 

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Carved Vase

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Carved Lotus Pattern Plum Vase

Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Carved Flower-Mouth Vase

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Song/Jin Dynasty Yaozhou Kiln Brown-Glazed Vase

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

 

Covered Box

 

 

Five Dynasties Yaozhou KilnWhite-Glazed Black-Decorated Powder Box

Tokyo National Museum

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Carved Flower Covered Box

British Museum

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Peony Pattern Covered Box

British Museum

 

Northern Song/Jin Dynasty, Yaozhou KilnCeladon Floral Pattern Powder Box

Tokyo National Museum

 

 

 

 

Zun (Vessel)

 

 

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Flower-Mouth Zun

Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

 

 

Cup

 

Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Small Cup with Floral Pattern

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

 

 

Pot

 

 

Five Dynasties Ewer with Double Phoenix Spouts and Peony Pattern in Sky-blue Glaze with Incised Decoration

Collection of Musée Guimet, France

 

Five Dynasties / Early Northern Song Ewer with Single Spout and Peony Pattern in Sky-blue Glaze with Incised Decoration

Idemitsu Museum of Arts

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Ewer with Phoenix Pattern and Loop Handle

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Kundi with Incised Floral Pattern 

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

 

Northern Song Dynasty, Yaozhou Kiln Celadon Water Dropper with Scroll Pattern

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

Yaozhou Ware Celadon Pot with Flared Mouth, Song Dynasty

National Museum of Korea

 

 

 

 

Incense Burner

 

 

Yaozhou Ware Celadon, Northern Song DynastyCarved Openwork Tripod Incense Burner

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

 

Yaozhou Ware Celadon Incense Burner with Scrolling Grass Pattern, Northern Song Dynasty

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

 

Yaozhou Ware Celadon Incense Burner, Northern Song Dynasty

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Yaozhou Ware Celadon Tripod Incense Burner in Ding Style with Impressed Design, Northern Song/Jin Dynasty

Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

 

Celadon Incense Burner with Applied Double Phoenix Design, Jin Dynasty

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, Japan

 

Jin dynasty Yaozhou ware celadon archaic-style ding censer

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

 

Jin dynasty Yaozhou ware celadon incense burner

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

Jin dynasty Yaozhou ware celadon lion-shaped candlestick

Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

 

 

 

Pillow

 

 

Northern Song/Jin Yaozhou ware celadon carved pillow

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

 

Northern Song Yaozhou ware carved pillow with flying birds and floral design

Seikado Bunko Art Museum collection