Study on the colouring, microstructure, and glaze formula of ‘Ru‐type ware’ excavated from Qingliang Temple kiln in Henan Province, China

AbstractThirty samples of ‘Ru‐type ware’ glazes from Qingliang Temple Kiln were selected. The dominant wavelength, microstructure, and chemical composition of elements in the glaze formula of each glaze sample were measured and studied through integrating‐sphere spectrophotometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence analyses. The energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence data were processed by multivariate statistical analysis. The following conclusions were drawn. With the dominant wavelength range of 535–660 nm, Ru‐type ware glaze falls into the category of a celadon‐glazed system. The glaze formulas of different glaze colours of Ru‐type ware are comparable but not identical, the difference in content of colour oxides Fe2O3 and TiO2 resulting in the various glaze colours of Ru‐type ware. For the first time, Ru‐type ware glaze is revealed as a crystallisation‐phase glaze. This finding demonstrates that the firing process of the Ru‐type ware was inherited to some extent from Ru Guan ware.