Celadon

The tea of the Song Dynasty favored white, while the tea wares were revered for their black-glazed bowls, unique in history. Silver-threaded hare's fur, shimmering with brilliance; paper-cut decorations, vivid and lifelike; partridge splashed, with spots that change in light. The clear black and white contrast between the black-glazed bowl and the tea highlights the beauty of the foam. The Song Dynasty revered Daoism, and the white tea in black vessels embodied the principles of Yin and Yang. The Jian kiln, located in the area of Houjing and Chizhong Village, Shuigai Town, Jianyang County, Fujian Province, is renowned for its production of black porcelain. The Jian kiln was one of the major kilns during the Song Dynasty, initially established in the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, primarily producing celadon. By the Song Dynasty, a cluster of kilns emerged in Jianyang, with 99 long dragon kilns, producing a large quantity of black porcelain. Jian ware can be categorized into six main types based on the glaze patterns: Ujim (dark blue-black), hare's fur, oil spot, partridge, iridescent, and miscellaneous colors. Hare's Fur Bowl A hare's fur bowl features fine brownish-yellow or rust-colored thread-like streaks on a black glaze surface, resembling hare's…

Chinese people enjoy sipping tea, with the tea culture being passed down for thousands of years. The main components of tea culture include the evaluation techniques of tea leaves, artistic operation methods, appreciation of the tea-drinking environment, etc. The entire process of tea drinking is imbued with a beautiful ambiance, and in this overall process, tea utensils, as the foundation, are indispensable. Alongside the millennial development history of tea culture, the evolution of tea utensils can be said to be a beautiful landscape in its own right. The Tang Dynasty was the first peak in the history of ceramic development in China, and the flourishing of tea drinking at this time also spurred the development of tea utensils. During this period, tea utensils had a broader field for development. Archaeological excavations at kiln sites prove that, in addition to kilns such as Yue Kiln, Ding Kiln, Wuzhou Kiln, Yuezhou Kiln, Shouzhou Kiln, and Hongzhou Kiln, Northern kilns like Xing Kiln, Quyang Kiln, Gongxian Kiln, and Southern kilns like Jingdezhen Kiln, Changsha Kiln, and Qionglai Kiln were also producing tea utensils in large quantities at the time. This sufficiently demonstrates the close integration of ancient Chinese ceramic culture with traditional tea…

The Ming Dynasty was a period of innovation in tea processing and the creation of loose leaf teas, setting new trends for tea drinking. In the 24th year of Hongwu reign under Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1391), the production of compressed tea bricks was abolished, promoting the development of loose leaf teas. Many famous teas emerged as the method of brewing changed from whisking to steeping. The process of tea preparation became simpler, and fewer tea wares were needed. 1. Simplification and Reduction of Tea Wares The older tea cakes of the Tang Dynasty required the "boiled tea method." The finely processed dragon and phoenix compressed teas of the Song Dynasty necessitated the "whisked tea method." Both the "boiled tea method" and the "whisked tea method" involved complex procedures and a multitude of tea wares. The brewing of loose leaf teas in the Ming Dynasty was much simpler: a small amount of tea would be placed in a cup (or pot), and hot water poured over it, ready to drink. This method was also known as the "pinch tea method" during the Song Dynasty. At this point, only a kettle for boiling water and a cup (or pot) for brewing were…

Famous Chinese tea wares include celadon, white porcelain, and more. Where are they produced? Let’s delve into the details below. The Top Ten Production Areas for Famous Chinese Tea Wares: 1. Yue Kiln: Known for Celadon Production The Yue Kiln is a primary production site for southern celadon in ancient China. The Tang Dynasty marked the peak of Yue Kiln craftsmanship, earning it a distinguished reputation both domestically and internationally. 2. Xing Kiln: Known for White Porcelain Production The Xing Kiln was one of the earliest sites in Northern China to produce white porcelain. It was located in Neiqiu County and Lincheng County’s Qicun area, under the jurisdiction of Xingtai City, and holds a significant place in the history of Chinese ceramics. 3. Ru Kiln: Known for Sky-blue Glaze Ru Kiln is located around Qingliang Temple in today’s Baofeng, Henan Province. Named after the city of Ru during the Northern Song Dynasty, it is renowned for its celadon tea wares, including sky-blue, pea-green, and powder-blue varieties. 4. Jun Kiln: Known for Copper-red Glaze The Jun Kiln, also known as Junzhou Kiln, was established in the town of Shenhoushen, Henan Province, during the early Song Dynasty. The ancient Jun Kiln site…

Tea ware is often referred to as the father of tea, for it carries the essence of a cup of tea. The word "China" itself also means porcelain, and the West came to know China through its porcelain. Early pottery, bronze wares, later porcelains, and teaware made from materials like purple clay and glass were all adapted to the social productivity levels and brewing methods of their times. The complete set of gold and silver tea ware unearthed from the Famen Temple’s underground palace from the Tang Dynasty is breathtaking (multiple types of tea ware can also be seen in the painting “Night Banquet in the Tang Palace”). During Emperor Huizong's reign, tea competitions included the use of tea ware as an essential element, and Jian bowls, necessary for the tea-whisking method, became popular. Three of the Jian bowls (also known as Tenmoku bowls) that were brought to Japan are now considered national treasures there. The five famous kilns that produced tea ware are also world-renowned. The evolution of tea ware is a vast topic, but at its core, it cannot be separated from three words: "ceramics, technology, culture." Today, we will explore the evolution of tea ware from two…

Tea drinking, much like coffee drinking, can be addictive. Once you experience the joy, you might find yourself engrossed in certain behaviors without even realizing it. How many of these apply to you? Stockpiling tea The desire to stockpile tea is similar to the urge to stockpile groceries. When you finally manage to buy some, why not stock up a bit more? What if it becomes unavailable later on? Or what if the price goes up? And so, you end up with... more tea than you can drink. Buying various teaware A good horse deserves a good saddle, and fine tea deserves beautiful teaware. Longjing tea should be paired with a celadon porcelain cup, Houqiu with a simple Sung-style glass bottle, and Wuyi rock tea wouldn't be complete without a set of gongfu tea ware... Before you know it, your collection of cups and pots has grown exponentially. Your storage cabinet is filled with all sorts of teaware of different shapes, materials, and styles. In a way, these collections represent the various moods of the tea drinker. Feeling an itch to try new teas Chinese tea has strong regional characteristics, and the same leaf can produce countless flavors. For tea…

When creating a beautiful piece, the more variables involved, the weaker the human control becomes. However, luck always stands by every craftsman who truly invests their life and wisdom in it. As long as you have sufficient accumulation and patience, fine works will naturally emerge. Shoe firing ceramics are both man-made and reliant on nature, a collaboration between heaven and humanity, with its wonders lying within. Shoe firing refers to the production of ceramic wares using wood as fuel. This is an ancient technique with a high degree of difficulty, where the success or failure of the work depends on the relationship between clay, fire, wood, and kiln. Returning to nature, the fusion of fire, earth, and ash gives rise to a natural, thick, and primitive beauty. Shoe firing seeks the natural combination of wood ashes and earth, not bound by formal aesthetics, but rather without any artificial embellishment. The beauty of simplicity is attached to everything, and only in the formless yet shaped shoe-fired ware can one touch the soul. Shoe firing is mainly divided into two categories: glazed (base glaze) and unglazed (natural glaze). For example, Song Dynasty Tenmoku bowls and celadon glazes are glazed, while Bizen-yaki from…