LI Qijiang, ZHANG Maolin, XIONG Lu, JI Ying, WU Jun
(Research Center of Ancient Ceramic, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen 333001, Jiangxi, China)

Abstract: Lime-ash is an important raw material in the preparation of porcelain glaze in Jingdezhen. Although the preparation process and formation mechanism of lime-ash have been mastered, the evolution process of lime-ash has not been clarified. In the paper, the development and evolution of Jingdezhen lime-ash are studied, according to the ancient ceramic books with theorization on porcelain making technology, through the combination of archaeological excavations of kiln sites and modern science and technology analytic techniques. Furthermore, the concept of lime-ash has been clearly interpreted, while the related contents of lime-ash in ancient ceramic books have been dialectically described, thus offering a novel content for perfecting the history of ceramic technology in Jingdezhen and China.

Key words: porcelain, lime-ash, Jingdezhen, limestone, evolution