A block of zhuni from Huang Long Mountain 黄龙山 sits ageing at the studio of Chen Chunhong and Lin Hanpeng. Curious to see whether or not the clay had aged long enough, Lin Hanpeng took a small amount to shape into a cup and fire this week.
Chinese porcelain is synonymous with two cities in China, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province, and Dehua in Fujian Province. Both regions came to be centres for porcelain production at different times, serving different markets. Both cities remain the most important centres for porcelain in China. Although exceptions exist, there are three main differences between the industries in each city.
What does “handmade” mean in the world of Yixing? Anyone browsing Yixing Teapot listings will probably read assurances that the teapot in question was “handmade.” Assuming the teapot is in fact handmade, this still doesn’t precisely answer how the teapot was made. All authentic Yixing Teapots made from zisha (Yixing clay) without any other additives will be handmade; But there are two kinds of "handmade" in the Yixing Teapot World, “half handmade” and “full" or "fully handmade.”
The paint is applied last after the porcelain has already been fired with a thin transparent glaze.The porcelain is then fired at a lower temperature to set the paint. Because the porcelain has already been fired there is no need to fire the paint at the very high temperature needed to fire porcelain, therefore a wider range of materials and colours can be used than in other styles. Fencai is popularly used for vases, porcelain paintings and detailed and colourful decoration on Chinese porcelain.
Guangzhou is one of the major centres of Chinese tea culture, and as the largest southern city, it hosts the largest tea market in China, Fangcun Tea Market. “Market” is not the best description, as it is in fact a large collection of separate markets connected by side streets and divided on either side by Fangcun Blvd. It feels more like a tea city than a tea market.
Porcelain artists have a very basic choice to make before they begin to paint their pieces. The choice is whether to use 1) Youxiacai 釉下彩, painting under the glaze; 2) youzhongcai 釉中彩, painting in between glazes; 3) youshangcai 釉上彩, painting on the surface of the glaze. While it may seem unimportant, this choice will dictate what colours can be used, the final appearance of the painting, and even the surface texture of the piece. Each method has its own history and uses.
Chinese porcelain manufactured in Jingdezhen is the original “hard paste” porcelain. All true porcelain – excluding bone china – is based on this recipe. The recipe for porcelain is a mixture of the materials kaolin 高岭土and petuntse 白墩子/瓷石 into a clay that is then shaped and fired at around 1300°C and over.
Benshan lüni, benshan duanni, huangjin duan, other Yixing clays (zisha) that are light-colored or yellow-toned after firing fall under the umbrella category of “duanni” clay. Duanni is the third broad category of Yixing clays which include Zini (all purple Yixing clays) and hongni (red clay, which also includes zhuni).
When describing what a real Yixing teapot looks like, many collectors are at a loss to put into words what distinguishes a real Yixing clay (zisha) teapot from other clay teapots; they just know when they see and feel the teapot for themselves. Fortunately, Besides the texture and color of the teapot, there are a number of signs or ‘imperfections’ that indicate the authenticity of an Yixing Teapot.
One of the interesting things about dicaoqing (although not unique to this clay), is how firing temperature affects the final color of the clay. The firing temperature for the clay is between 1150-1250°C. Between that range the color of dicaoqing changes drastically. Firing at a lower temperature, such as around 1150-1170°C results in a dark red that can be described as sienna or “pig liver red." Firing at a higher temperature results in a much darker color, closer to dark brown/purple.
Zhuni is not extinct, but it is rare. The myth of its extinction comes from the restrictions on zisha mining. Fear of overmining and environmental degradation led the Yixing government to greatly restrict mining operations beginning in 2005. All official mines were either closed or had their operations limited. This includes operations in the famous three spots: Huang Long Shan 黄龙山, Zhaozhuang 赵庄, and Xiaomeiyao 小煤窑.
Of all of the Yixing clays, perhaps the most mysterious is Zhuni, the famous orange-red clay. A great deal of misinformation standing in for factual information makes it difficult for anyone who is interested in acquiring a zhuni teapot. We often receive questions from customers about this clay and will do our best to answer some of the most common questions below.
A block of zhuni from Huang Long Mountain 黄龙山 sits ageing at the studio of Chen Chunhong and Lin Hanpeng. Curious to see whether or not the clay had aged long enough, Lin Hanpeng took a small amount to shape into a cup and fire this week.
Chinese porcelain is synonymous with two cities in China, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province, and Dehua in Fujian Province. Both regions came to be centres for porcelain production at different times, serving different markets. Both cities remain the most important centres for porcelain in China. Although exceptions exist, there are three main differences between the industries in each city.
What does “handmade” mean in the world of Yixing? Anyone browsing Yixing Teapot listings will probably read assurances that the teapot in question was “handmade.” Assuming the teapot is in fact handmade, this still doesn’t precisely answer how the teapot was made. All authentic Yixing Teapots made from zisha (Yixing clay) without any other additives will be handmade; But there are two kinds of "handmade" in the Yixing Teapot World, “half handmade” and “full" or "fully handmade.”
The paint is applied last after the porcelain has already been fired with a thin transparent glaze.The porcelain is then fired at a lower temperature to set the paint. Because the porcelain has already been fired there is no need to fire the paint at the very high temperature needed to fire porcelain, therefore a wider range of materials and colours can be used than in other styles. Fencai is popularly used for vases, porcelain paintings and detailed and colourful decoration on Chinese porcelain.
Guangzhou is one of the major centres of Chinese tea culture, and as the largest southern city, it hosts the largest tea market in China, Fangcun Tea Market. “Market” is not the best description, as it is in fact a large collection of separate markets connected by side streets and divided on either side by Fangcun Blvd. It feels more like a tea city than a tea market.
Porcelain artists have a very basic choice to make before they begin to paint their pieces. The choice is whether to use 1) Youxiacai 釉下彩, painting under the glaze; 2) youzhongcai 釉中彩, painting in between glazes; 3) youshangcai 釉上彩, painting on the surface of the glaze. While it may seem unimportant, this choice will dictate what colours can be used, the final appearance of the painting, and even the surface texture of the piece. Each method has its own history and uses.
Chinese porcelain manufactured in Jingdezhen is the original “hard paste” porcelain. All true porcelain – excluding bone china – is based on this recipe. The recipe for porcelain is a mixture of the materials kaolin 高岭土and petuntse 白墩子/瓷石 into a clay that is then shaped and fired at around 1300°C and over.
Benshan lüni, benshan duanni, huangjin duan, other Yixing clays (zisha) that are light-colored or yellow-toned after firing fall under the umbrella category of “duanni” clay. Duanni is the third broad category of Yixing clays which include Zini (all purple Yixing clays) and hongni (red clay, which also includes zhuni).
When describing what a real Yixing teapot looks like, many collectors are at a loss to put into words what distinguishes a real Yixing clay (zisha) teapot from other clay teapots; they just know when they see and feel the teapot for themselves. Fortunately, Besides the texture and color of the teapot, there are a number of signs or ‘imperfections’ that indicate the authenticity of an Yixing Teapot.
One of the interesting things about dicaoqing (although not unique to this clay), is how firing temperature affects the final color of the clay. The firing temperature for the clay is between 1150-1250°C. Between that range the color of dicaoqing changes drastically. Firing at a lower temperature, such as around 1150-1170°C results in a dark red that can be described as sienna or “pig liver red." Firing at a higher temperature results in a much darker color, closer to dark brown/purple.
Zhuni is not extinct, but it is rare. The myth of its extinction comes from the restrictions on zisha mining. Fear of overmining and environmental degradation led the Yixing government to greatly restrict mining operations beginning in 2005. All official mines were either closed or had their operations limited. This includes operations in the famous three spots: Huang Long Shan 黄龙山, Zhaozhuang 赵庄, and Xiaomeiyao 小煤窑.
Of all of the Yixing clays, perhaps the most mysterious is Zhuni, the famous orange-red clay. A great deal of misinformation standing in for factual information makes it difficult for anyone who is interested in acquiring a zhuni teapot. We often receive questions from customers about this clay and will do our best to answer some of the most common questions below.
