Ancient alchemy of earth and fire

The wide-mouthed bowl, only 4 centimeters tall, features intricately carved lotus-petal patterns on its interior, a signature motif of Longquan ware. Dating to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it comes from a period when celadon production reached remarkable heights.

Small as it is, the bowl shines like one star in the vast universe of ancient Chinese ceramics. The exhibition in which it appears, Tsinghua Treasures: Earth and Fire, invites visitors to explore this rich ceramic heritage through representative objects from the collections of Tsinghua University Art Museum and institutions beyond Beijing, including Shangrao Museum in Jiangxi province, a region with a long history of ceramic production.

The long-term exhibition traces the evolution of Chinese ceramics, from diverse pottery traditions to sophisticated porcelain-making systems that flourished across a vast landscape shaped by geographical and cultural diversity.