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Ware Chinadraft

Ru ware

Rǔyáo

Traditional 汝窯

Song-dynasty stoneware with a soft blue-green glaze from the Ru kilns of Henan, ranked first of the five famous Song kilns by the heritage record.

On this page

Forms, use and context#

The glaze traditionally contains agate, and pieces were fired one per sagger on small stilts. The imperial Ru kiln site at Qingliang Temple, Baofeng, has been nationally protected since 2001, and the Zhanggongxiang site in Ruzhou since 2006. The craft was listed nationally in 2011.

Body#

Local kaolin and clay from the Ruzhou area.1

Glazes#

Glaze中文DescriptionSources
agate-bearing celadon玛瑙入釉Traditional Ru glaze uses agate; the record also names the 乳珠 (milky bead) effect.2

Methods#

  1. Firing One piece per sagger on stilt supports; autumn is said to be the best season for firing.1

Typical objects#

Not yet verified: tea objects; the sources read do not mention tea

Periods#

  1. Northern Song – presentNorthern Song court patronage; technique described as over a thousand years old.2

Kiln sites#

SitePeriodSources
Qingliang Temple imperial Ru kiln site (清凉寺汝官窑遗址), Baofeng countySong (as listed in 2001)3
Zhanggongxiang kiln site (张公巷窑址), RuzhouJin to Yuan (as listed in 2006)4

Heritage listings#

2011

China national intangible cultural heritage list (国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目名录), traditional crafts1

Item
Ⅷ-189 (序号 1169)
Batch
third

Declared by Baofeng county.

2011

China national intangible cultural heritage list (国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目名录), traditional crafts2

Item
Ⅷ-189 (序号 1169)
Batch
third

Declared by Ruzhou city (same item, second declaring unit).

2001

Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位)3

Item
5-77
Site
清凉寺汝官窑遗址 Qingliang Temple imperial Ru kiln site
Batch
fifth
Era as listed
宋 (Song), 河南省宝丰县

Number 5-77 from enwiki-mhcs-henan.

2006

Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位)4

Item
Ⅰ-156
Site
张公巷窑址 Zhanggongxiang kiln site
Batch
sixth
Era as listed
金至元 (Jin to Yuan), 河南省汝州市

In other traditions#

  • Counterpart of (from that entry) Goryeo celadon Korea. The Song envoy Xu Jing, in Gaeseong in 1123, compared Goryeo wares with the celadons of the Yue and Ru kilns.

Sources#

  1. 汝瓷烧制技艺（宝丰） — 1169 / Ⅷ-189 (2011)China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (中国非物质文化遗产网) · Government and heritage records · Accessed 2026-11-02 ↗
  2. 汝瓷烧制技艺（汝州） — 1169 / Ⅷ-189 (2011)China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (中国非物质文化遗产网) · Government and heritage records · Accessed 2026-11-02 ↗
  3. 中国第五批全国重点文物保护单位完全名单 (2001-07-16)中国新闻网 · Journalism and features · Accessed 2026-11-02 ↗
  4. 国务院关于核定并公布第六批全国重点文物保护单位的通知（国发〔2006〕19号）中华人民共和国中央人民政府 (gov.cn) · Government and heritage records · Accessed 2026-11-02 ↗
  5. List of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in HenanEnglish Wikipedia · Reference works · Accessed 2026-11-02 ↗
Status and editorial notes draft

Sources are listed below. Their presence does not certify every claim; source-specific interpretations and unresolved questions are identified in the text. This page has not received independent expert approval.

  • tea objects; the sources read do not mention tea
  • Draft: written 2026-11-02 from the sources listed, all read on that date. Region ids ruzhou and baofeng are proposed; no region entries exist yet. Ru is not mainly a tea-bowl ware; it is here as one of the Song traditions asked for. Not yet verified: a museum source for Ru tea objects (cup stands, bowls) before it is linked from tea pages.
  • Not yet verified: Draft: written 2026-11-02 from the sources listed, all read on that date. Region ids ruzhou and baofeng are proposed; no region entries exist yet. Ru is not mainly a tea-bowl ware; it is here as one of the Song traditions asked for. Not yet verified: a museum source for Ru tea objects (cup stands, bowls) before it is linked from tea pages.