Shi Zhen
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Shi Zhen, Female, Han, from Cixi, Zhejiang, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Yue Kiln Celadon Firing Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-187). The tradition is documented in Cixi, Zhejiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Yue Kiln Celadon Firing Craftsmanship in Cixi, Zhejiang: Shanglin Lake is the core kiln site of Yue-kiln celadon; the Cixi lineage's transmission takes the lakeside kiln yards as its axis, and the Cixi Yue Kiln Celadon Co., Ltd. continues here to make Yue-kiln wares centered on form and glaze-color decoration. The late-Qing practice of the Sun family firing antique wares around the lake left an old thread, and after firing was suspended in the Republic period due to war, the folk-kiln handcraft lineage was never broken. The evolutionary sequence from proto-porcelain to mature celadon yielded by the kiln sites around Shanglin Lake makes this place known as the birthplace of the 'mother porcelain.' Yue-kiln celadon began firing in the Eastern Han dynasty; the evolution from proto-porcelain to mature celadon was accomplished in the dragon kilns of the Yue kiln, and for this reason the Shanglin Lake Yue-kiln celadon is also called the 'mother porcelain.' The modeled-form and decorative craft of the Yue kiln was also a process of continuous evolution and progress from the Han to the Song; in the Han dynasty (the inception period) Yue-kiln forms were mostly made by wheel-throwing, and decorative techniques were mostly paddle-imprinting and pinching-modeling, with forms and decoration mainly imitating bronzeware and early pottery. In the Three Kingdoms, Western and Eastern Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period (the development period), forming methods diversified, mainly wheel-throwing, pinching-modeling, and mold-making, and the forms were also rich. From the Tang to the Northern Song (the flourishing period) was the peak of Yue-kiln development; under the influence of Buddhism, gold and silver ware, and jade, Yue-kiln form and decoration became ever more refined and exquisite. In this period the forms were stable and dignified, the glaze color moist and elegant, earning the praise 'the green of a thousand peaks' and 'like ice, like jade,' and in the same period appeared the Yue-kiln masterpiece 'secret-color porcelain' (mise ci). From the mid-Northern Song to the early Southern Song (the decline period), the form and decoration followed the Tang style but faltered technically. In the late Qing, the Sun family around Shanglin Lake fired Yue-kiln celadon antique wares; firing was suspended for a time in the Republic of China period due to war.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Shi Zhen is anchored in the documented technical standards of Yue Kiln Celadon Firing Craftsmanship in Cixi, Zhejiang. Within the documented technical tradition of Yue Kiln Celadon Firing Craftsmanship in Cixi, Zhejiang: The Yue kiln is a long-celebrated kiln among China's porcelain kilns, occupying a certain place in early Chinese porcelain history through the exquisite and distinctive quality of its celadon products. The Yue kiln's porcelain-making skill, decorative craft, and form level were all extremely mature, becoming an object of imitation, reference, and adoption by other kilns. Today, Cixi City has established the Cixi Yue Kiln Celadon Co., Ltd., which continues to make Yue-kiln celadon around Shanglin Lake in Cixi, focusing on form and glaze-color decoration craft, continuing the Yue-kiln celadon culture of a thousand years ago. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Stamping and modelling in the formative phase": In the Han phase forms were wheel-thrown and decoration was stamped from dies and finished by modelling, drawing on bronze and early pottery motifs. "Moulding and modelling side by side": From the Three Kingdoms through the Northern and Southern dynasties, wheel throwing was joined by modelling and moulding, greatly widening the range of forms. "Firing the mishu secret-ware": Celadon fired specially for the court, with a jade-like glaze regarded as the summit of Yue ware technology and a classic of ancient ceramic firing. "Firing archaistic wares after the Sun workshop": The Sun family fired archaistic Yue wares around Shanglin Lake in the late Qing and the kilns fell silent during the warlord conflicts of the Republic era.
Stamping and modelling in the formative phase
In the Han phase forms were wheel-thrown and decoration was stamped from dies and finished by modelling, drawing on bronze and early pottery motifs.
Moulding and modelling side by side
From the Three Kingdoms through the Northern and Southern dynasties, wheel throwing was joined by modelling and moulding, greatly widening the range of forms.
Firing the mishu secret-ware
Celadon fired specially for the court, with a jade-like glaze regarded as the summit of Yue ware technology and a classic of ancient ceramic firing.
Firing archaistic wares after the Sun workshop
The Sun family fired archaistic Yue wares around Shanglin Lake in the late Qing and the kilns fell silent during the warlord conflicts of the Republic era.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Shi Zhen was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Yue Kiln Celadon Firing Craftsmanship, with Cixi, Zhejiang as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Yue Kiln Celadon Firing Craftsmanship in Cixi, Zhejiang: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2011 (batch 3), with Cixi, Zhejiang as its declared area, and Cixi Yue YaoQingCi Co., Ltd. as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Yue-kiln celadon began firing in the Eastern Han dynasty; the evolution from proto-porcelain to mature celadon was accomplished in the dragon kilns of the Yue kiln, and for this reason the Shanglin Lake Yue-kiln celadon is also called the 'mother porcelain.' The modeled-form and decorative craft of the Yue kiln was also a process of continuous evolution and progress from the Han to the Song; in the Han dynasty (the inception period) Yue-kiln forms were mostly made by wheel-throwing, and decorative techniques were mostly paddle-imprinting and pinching-modeling, with forms and decoration mainly imitating bronzeware and early pottery.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jixigui | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | 04-1917 | Other regional school |
| Chen Pengfei | Shangyu, Zhejiang | — | Other regional school |
| Shi Zhen | Cixi, Zhejiang | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。