中国古代陶瓷历史悠久，源远流长。早在新石器时代，我国劳动人民就已经制造和使用陶器。随着社会的发展和生产力水平的提高，到了商周时期，创烧出印纹硬陶以及原始青瓷。瓷器是中华民族对世界文明的一项杰出创造，到东汉时期，瓷器工艺臻于成熟。随着历史车轮的滚动，六朝时期陶瓷业得到迅速发展。隋唐五代时期大江南北更是名窑四起，南方青瓷千峰翠色，北方白瓷类银似雪，尤其是宋代瓷器呈现出百花齐放的繁荣景象。元、明、清三朝是我国陶瓷业发展的鼎盛时期，青花瓷、彩瓷、各种颜色釉瓷以及明清出现的紫砂器，使我国陶瓷工艺达到历史最高水平。镇江博物馆经过考古发掘、社会捐赠等收藏陶瓷器上万件，现从中精选出历代具有代表性和不同品种的珍品，能使观众窥豹一斑，领略中国陶瓷的精美。

Exhibition of Selected Ancient Ceramics in the Collection of Zhenjiang Museum
Exhibition of Ancient Ceramics in the Collection of Zhenjiang Museum

Chinese ceramics boasts its long history and fascinating heritage. Early in the Neolithic Age, pottery was already made and used by Chinese ancestors. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, with the social development and increasing productivity, Chinese uniquely created hard pottery with impressed decoration and green-glazed proto-porcelain, which are deemed as an outstanding invention contributed by Chinese people to the world civilization. Mature porcelain was fired in the Eastern Han dynasty before the ceramic industry experienced a fast development during the Six dynasties. The Tang and Song dynasties saw the rise of eminent kilns, when the green ware / celadon of the south was prized for its luminous glaze and jade-like texture while the white ware in the north was adored for its lustrous, even and snowy glaze. The ceramic industry thrived especially in the Song dynasty. However, it reached its peak in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, when blue-and-white, painted motif, monochrome, and zisha pottery were the representatives.

The ceramic collection of the Zhenjiang Museum, sourcing from excavations and donations, now amounts to almost 10,000 pieces, among which a selection representing different periods of variety are on display for this exhibition. We hope from this exhibition, visitors could appreciate the exquisite works created by our intelligent ancestors.