Elemental Characterization by EDXRF of Imperial L ongquan Celadon Porcelain Excavated from F engdongyan Kiln, D ayao C ounty

A mass of L ongquan porcelain shards carved with ‘ G uan’ or the dragon patterns were unearthed in the early M ing D ynasty layer of the F engdongyan kiln site at D ayao C ounty. These celadon shards were fired in the H ongwu and Y ongle eras of the M ing D ynasty. In order to research the raw materials and firing technology of the imperial porcelain, 85 typical shards were analysed by energy‐dispersive X ‐ray fluorescence ( EDXRF ). The results indicate that the contents of TiO 2 and Fe 2 O 3 in the body vary in the H ongwu and Y ongle eras. Compared with L ongquan glazes in the S outhern S ong D ynasty, the average values of K 2 O , Fe 2 O 3 and TiO 2 are higher, but that of CaO is lower in early M ing imperial porcelain glazes. Principal components analysis ( PCA ) shows that different degrees of elutriation of the same raw materials are the main reason for this difference in the H ongwu and Y ongle periods. However, the raw materials of imperial porcelain glazes show no obvious changes and have inherited the earlier tradition. The production and firing technology of imperial porcelain reached a higher level and had not declined in the Early M ing D ynasty.