Jianzhan Tea Cup
In the Chinese tea industry, Jianzhan is known as the "only tea vessel born for tea". Its pinnacle is mainly reflected in the following aspects: firstly, the clay used in the firing process of Jianyao black glazed cups requires a high level of clay. The biggest characteristic of the clay near the Jianyao site is that it contains about 8% iron, which is the highest iron content in the bone of black glazed porcelain throughout history. The bone is generally gray black in color, with a thick and hard texture, hence it is called the "iron body", which has a crisp and pleasant metallic sound when struck. Observing the bottom foot specimens of Song Dynasty Jianzhan, it can be found that the body is very black, which is a manifestation of high iron content in the clay and an important basis for distinguishing Jianzhan from other kiln mouth imitations. However, such clay is very prone to deformation in kilns with high temperatures above 1300 degrees, which greatly increases the difficulty of firing kiln and lamp products, making them even more precious. According to the unearthed specimens of Song Dynasty tea cups, the walls of the cups are generally 80-85 millimeters or more, which is much thicker than tea cups from other kilns at the same time. In addition, the raw materials used for the construction of the lamp itself have a high iron content, and their density and volume are larger than those of other imitation lamps, so the weight of the lamp is naturally not light. The thick walls and high iron content of the lamp make it a great advantage for building lamps - it is easy to keep warm. After this tea is brewed, it can provide good insulation and won't feel hot when held in your hand. So drinking tea is a great utensil. Secondly, there is a correspondence between the clay and glaze color. The raw material structure of the clay used in the construction of the lamp is roughly fixed, and its mineral composition includes mullite, quartz, quartz, and iron oxides. According to modern scientific testing, the formula for the clay is a combination of red clay with high alumina content and more refractory properties, and another type of soft clay with greater plasticity, known as black clay and purple clay. The high iron content in the clay of the kiln laid a solid foundation for firing black glaze. Even if the iron content of the glaze water is not high, the flow of the glaze layer in the reducing flame can melt the iron rich components in the body into the glaze and bring them to the glaze surface, presenting a uniformly moist cyanotic black color. In addition, the bottom of the kiln is exposed, and a thick glaze is applied in one go, using the upward firing method. This causes the glaze to flow downwards at high temperatures, resulting in thicker glaze as the position of the kiln is lowered. If the glaze is too thin, the crystallization will not flow smoothly, and if the glaze is too thick, the crystallization will not be visible. Therefore, the distribution pattern of kiln variation spots in the construction of lamps is also dense along the edges of the lamps, becoming increasingly sparse towards the lower part, and there are basically no or very small spots at the extremely thick glaze of the lamp center; Moreover, the pattern and color of the stripes at different positions may also vary. The uncertainty of pattern distribution, shape, and color has a significant impact on the uniqueness and aesthetics of lighting fixtures. Finally, there is the shape and foot repair of the vessel. Bowl shaped vessels are commonly used, with a large mouth and small feet, resembling a funnel. There are different forms of vessels such as large and small closed mouths and open mouths. The most typical vessel shape is a bundle mouth vessel. The base is a shallow jade ring with spiral patterns, and the typical foot repair method is wide mouth and narrow feet, short ring feet, and shallow digging feet. It is worth noting that there are irregular and varying sized point like or filamentous pits on the bottom of the Jianzhan tire, commonly known as granular texture. And ancient potters were skilled in their craft, with sharp and precise knife techniques for rotating and repairing the base, producing bright lines of transition at turning points. The firing temperature of Jianzhan is around 1300 ℃ -1500 ℃, which is difficult for ordinary ceramic molds to withstand such high temperatures. Therefore, new imitations often add coarse particles of "clinker" to the clay. On the one hand, it can create a rough feeling, and on the other hand, it can improve the fire resistance of the billet. However, these coarse particles of "clinker" will produce special marks when the bottom is polished. When the tire body is relatively dry, the coarse particles of "clinker" will fall off due to the friction of the cutting tool, leaving obvious and larger diameter pits. When the tire body is wet, the coarse particles of "clinker" will rotate with the cutting tool, resulting in regular concentric circular "spiral patterns" on the body. If the tire body is repaired at moderate dry humidity, then both of the above situations are met. In order to erase the above traces or create a grainy feeling, counterfeiters often wipe them with a sponge soaked in water after repairing the billet. This technique can cause blurred lines at the transition point, without a clear and sharp feeling.
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Chinese Tea Sets
Large capacity Jianzhan tea sets design to meet demand, with a simple shape and warm color.
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Difference between Jianzhan & Tianmu Zhan
Origin : Jianzhan is a traditional famous porcelain of the Han ethnic group in China, specifically referring to black glazed porcelain fired by Jianyao. Its main place of origin is Shuiji Town, Jianyang City, Fujian Province. Tianmu Zhan, on the other hand, originated from Japan and is a term for a type of black glazed porcelain from China. Its name comes from Japan and is used to refer to this type of porcelain imported from China.
Craftsmanship and Technology: Jianzhan is made by firing Shuiji red soil with high iron content in the Nanping area of Fujian Province at high temperatures, using reduction firing technology. Tianmu Zhan adopts the production process of oxidation and reduction firing, with a lower iron content.
Color and appearance: The glaze layer on the rim of the Jianzhan is relatively thin, and the glaze on the bottom of the vessel is thick, resulting in glaze hanging phenomenon, that is, glaze tears or glaze droplets. The color is mainly black. The glaze color of Tianmu Zhan is relatively rich, with a delicate and smooth texture and diverse glaze color variations.
Culture and History: Jianzhan was extremely popular in the Song Dynasty and was one of the best utensils for tea fighting. It was known as the "first tea cup of the Song Dynasty" and was once a tribute, favored by the court. Tianmu Zhan has a longer historical and cultural background in Japan, closely related to the Japanese tea ceremony culture.
Technology and artistic style: Research on the construction of lamps mainly focuses on the innovation of vessel types and the diversification of glaze colors, such as the emergence of new vessel types such as Hui Lan and Yu Zi. Tianmu Lanterns are mainly popular in Japan and Taiwan, with most of their shapes being drawstring shaped and glazed in the style of local aristocrats or oil droplets. Although they lack true crystallization, they can still express a certain artistic conception.
In summary, although Jianzhan and Tianmu Zhan are both black glazed porcelain, there are significant differences in origin, craftsmanship, color, cultural background, and technical style.
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