Handmade Jianzhan: The Millennium Kiln Fire and Oriental Aesthetics of the Top Black Porcelain

In the vast river of Chinese ceramic culture, handmade Jianzhan stands out with its unique charm. As the first tea ware in the Song Dynasty, Jianzhan carries a profound historical heritage and exquisite porcelain-making skills, perfectly integrating the natural kiln-changing magic with the oriental aesthetic philosophy. It has been fired from the Long Kiln in Shuiji Town, Jianyang in the Song Dynasty to the present day, and has always shone with irreplaceable artistic brilliance.

1. Thousand-year kiln fire: the historical origin of Jianzhan

Jianzhan originated in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and flourished in the Song Dynasty. It was named because it was produced in Jianzhou, Fujian (now Jianyang). Tea culture was popular in the Song Dynasty, and the trend of tea fighting spread from the palace to the people, which put forward extremely high requirements for tea utensils. The thick “iron tire” characteristics of Jianzhan can keep the temperature of tea soup for a long time; its deep belly and constricted mouth shape are convenient for observing the tea soup flowers, and the unique black glaze can set off the beautiful tea appearance of “snow foam and milk flowers” of white tea, so it has become the first choice for tea fighting.

In his “Daguan Tea Theory”, Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty, Zhao Ji, praised “the teacup is precious in blue and black, and the one with clear jade hair is the best”, which directly promoted Jianzhan to become the imperial tea set for the court. Literati and poets also favored it. Fan Zhongyan wrote “Green dust flies on the golden mill, and snow waves rise in the heart of the purple jade cup”, and Su Dongpo left “Suddenly I was surprised by the rabbit hair spots on the noon cup, and the spring jar of goose wine was beaten out”. These poems not only show the aesthetic value of Jianzhan, but also give it a profound cultural connotation. After the Southern Song Dynasty, with the change of tea drinking methods, Jianzhan gradually declined, but the kiln fire has never really extinguished, waiting for the opportunity of rebirth.

2. Heaven’s work: the craft code of Jianzhan

The charm of handmade Jianzhan comes from its complex and uncertain production process. From material selection to finished product, it takes thirteen processes, and each step embodies the wisdom and hard work of the craftsman. The raw materials of Jianzhan are taken from the local unique “clay, glaze ore, and plant ash”. The reddish-brown clay rich in iron constitutes a unique “iron tire”, which not only gives Jianzhan a simple and heavy texture, but also becomes a key factor in the formation of glaze patterns.

The most amazing thing about Jianzhan is the “kiln change”. The craftsmen apply the prepared glaze to the body and put it into the dragon kiln to fire it at a high temperature of about 1300℃. Under the reducing atmosphere, the iron elements in the glaze undergo complex physical and chemical reactions to form ever-changing patterns such as rabbit hair, oil drops, and Yaobian. These patterns cannot be fully controlled by human power, and each Jianzhan is a unique work of art. Among them, Yaobian is even more praised as the “universe in the bowl”. Its glaze presents a blue-purple halo under the light, as if the starry sky is condensed in the cup, which is the pinnacle of Jianzhan kiln change art.

3. Oriental aesthetics: the cultural connotation of Jianzhan

The beauty of Jianzhan lies not only in its material form, but also in its contained oriental philosophy and aesthetic concepts. It takes “simplicity” as its core, abandons complicated decoration, and shows the aesthetic realm of “the great way is simple” through the heavy texture of the body and the natural kiln change of the glaze. Its black glaze is like the night, embracing everything, and the patterns are like stars and flowing clouds, which are in line with the philosophical ideas of “harmony between man and nature” and “Tao follows nature” in Chinese traditional culture.

Under the influence of Zen culture, Jianzhan also became the carrier of the spirit of the Song Dynasty tea ceremony. In the process of ordering tea, viewing the cups, and tasting tea, tea people feel the Zen meaning of “quiet observation and introspection”, and integrate the simple beauty of Jianzhan with the pure heart of the tea ceremony. This aesthetic concept has traveled across the ocean and profoundly influenced the Japanese tea ceremony culture. Murata Shuko, the founder of the Japanese tea ceremony, praised Jianzhan as “the best cup in the world”, and the Yobian cup was even regarded as a “national treasure” of Japan, becoming an important witness to the cultural exchanges between China and Japan.

IV. Inheriting the Torch: The Contemporary Rebirth of Jianzhan

After the founding of New China, the restoration of Jianzhan craftsmanship has become an important topic in the ceramics industry. In 1979, with the support of the government, the scientific research team spent several years to successfully restore the firing techniques of Jianzhan, rekindling the kiln fire that had been lost for hundreds of years. Contemporary craftsmen continue to innovate on the basis of inheriting traditions, integrating modern aesthetics and technological means into the production process. For example, by scientifically analyzing the glaze formula and kiln temperature control, the stability of the pattern is improved; using carving, inlaying and other techniques, Jianzhan is given a new artistic expression.

Today, Jianzhan is not only a favorite of tea lovers, but also a popular category in the collection world. From the ancient kiln site in Jianyang, Fujian to art galleries around the world, Jianzhan tells the world the story of Chinese ceramics with its unique oriental aesthetic charm. Every process and every pattern of handmade Jianzhan carries thousands of years of cultural memory, and continues to shine brightly in the kiln fire of the new era.