Volume filled to brim: Approximately 115ml
These ruyao cups have a Jihong 霁红 outer ruyao glaze named for its dark red appearance. Jihong glazed porcelain originated in the Ming Dynasty and was revived during the Qing Dynasty. The dark red glaze is strongly affected by temperature and flame during firing. The conditions must be exactly right to produce the signature rich and deep dark red glaze. The colour is even more difficult to achieve in combination with ruyao. As a result, the glaze has a very high scrap rate when producing compared to other ruyao glazes. Lee Shanming first achieved recognition for his jihong glazed porcelain in Jingdezhen before devoting himself to ruyao. Despite his experience with jihong, he very rarely produces red (jihong) ruyao due to the difficulty described above.
Lee Shanming has devoted himself to the art of ruyao or "ru kiln" for over 15 years. His signature is on the bottom of the cup, it says "Shan." "Shan" is the middle character of the artist's name, it means kindness, "yin" means to hide yourself. "Shan Yin" describes the philosophy of the artist, which is to be kind and to be low key.
Shan Kiln ruyao has a glow and a depth that are a result of the ruyao glaze recipes of the studio. When firing the pottery, and as the body expands, crazing appears on the surface of the glaze. These 开片 or "opening cracks," are found on all ruyao and will expand on the glaze with use. They give each piece its unique character.