Some properties of the early Arita celadon

Old celadon samples produced at four early Arita kiln sites in the 1640–1650’s were used for the macroscopic, microscopic, compositional, and color studies of glaze and body using XRD, SEM, XRF and colorimeter. Molar ratio of SiO2/Al2O3 of the early Arita celadon glaze was 8.4–9.3, and the glaze and body had 1.68–3.95 and 1.07–2.21 wt % Fe2O3, respectively. The total amount of MgO and CaO in the glaze was 12.2–14.9 wt %. The celadon color of the early Arita celadon was influenced by a small amount of Fe2O3 in the glaze and body. The body was mainly composed of α-quartz, mullite, and glass, and the average particle size of α-quartz was 17–30 µm and 2–3 times larger than that of the modern celadon. Some characteristics were compared with those of the early Korean Koryo celadon reported in some literatures.