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Unveiling South Ping: Where Tradition and Craftsmanship Converge in the Making of Exquisite Jianzhan Teacups

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CHOOSING AUTHENTIC NANPING JIANZHAN? FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS!
The prerequisite for the discussion is that you know what is Jianzhan and what is not. Regardless of the price, afraid of offending someone. Regardless of the quality of the master's work, you will understand after seeing it. This article originated from the fact that the author is asked every day by many friends how to choose Jianzhan and some more detailed questions. These questions are often not found online or different people have very different answers. The author shares some suggestions based on personal experience. (In fact, I am very confident that this article will be very practical). At the same time, the list mentioned in the article is the result of recommendations from more than 20 masters, and their skills are recognized as representative in the industry. 1. LOOK AT THE GLAZE COLOR. This is almost the primary criterion for selecting all porcelain, but the author does not want to say which glaze color is better because there is no answer to this type of comparison due to differences in aesthetics. However, we often care too much about who is better or worse, which is not the attitude that a mature Jianzhan collector should have. If you have this mindset, I want to remind you that the disadvantage is that you are too eager to find a standard answer, and the person who gives you this answer can influence your judgment and even preferences. The advice I can offer is to suggest ways to choose a glaze color that you like: "The color of the Jianzhan should be black or green, and the rabbit hair markings should be even and smooth to be considered top-quality." We have all heard this sentence, but it does not have much meaning for us in terms of selecting the type of rabbit hair we prefer. The reason is straightforward: this was said by Song Huizong, who has seen far more Jianzhan than we have. Therefore, do not trust anyone's words. You must have enough confidence in your own preferences because your preferences are what make collecting Jianzhan enjoyable for you, and other people's preferences have nothing to do with us. There are several types of rabbit hair markings, including yellow, silver, blue, red, gold, and others. Most masters produce Jianzhan with yellow rabbit hair markings, while silver rabbit hair markings are relatively rare. DEGREE OF UNIFORMITY. In most cases, the more uniform the oil drop markings on Jianzhan, the better, but this is not absolute. There are many unique Jianzhan with unevenly distributed oil drop markings that are aesthetically pleasing. THE SIZE OF THE OIL DROP MARKINGS. The size of the oil drop markings is related to the firing temperature, atmosphere, and glaze materials, with temperature having the greatest impact. The higher the temperature, the larger the area where the crystallization adheres to the black glaze surface and the more the oil drops flow and accumulate. However, larger oil drops do not necessarily mean they are more difficult to produce. When selecting Jianzhan, it all depends on personal preference, whether it be small, intricate drops resembling a starry sky or large, patchy drops. " into English is "glaze color". There are currently dozens of glazed colors available on the market, mainly blue and silver, as well as colors such as gold, yellow, red, green, and rainbow. When choosing, it is recommended not to deliberately pursue unique colors. CRYSTALLINE TEXTURE Crystalline texture is actually a rather vague concept. It's difficult for me to explain it clearly, so I'll use the term "vitrification effect" as a compromise. Generally speaking, the heavier the reducing atmosphere, the poorer the vitrification effect, and the higher the activity of the crystal. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately distinguish the quality of the texture. 2. VIEWING THE SHAPE OF THE OBJECT The shape of the object can be divided into practical utensils (with a diameter of 6-12cm) and ornamental utensils (above 12cm) according to size. Within the practical utensil range, the mainstream shapes are the straight mouth, the flared mouth, and the inward-curving mouth. Cup designs such as the Yulan cup, 3. WORTH NOTING All the works of the local masters in Jianyang are made of iron clay. The reason is simple: the clay used is all taken from the local area, so it is impossible to go to other places to dig clay. The biggest characteristic of the local clay is its high iron content, which is beyond doubt. Do you need to check if it is made of iron clay? Judging whether it is made of iron clay by observing the color of the foot is not accurate, because reduction firing and oxidation firing can lead to different colors of the foot. The reason why there is a saying of "gray foot" is that most of the products on the market are oil drop products, and reduction firing is used, so the foot appears gray. The foot may be yellow, brown, or other colors under oxidation firing or weak reduction firing. Using a magnet to determine if it is made of iron clay is also not accurate. This is a very intuitive but extremely inaccurate method because the thickness of the body, the thickness of the glaze, the magnetic properties and size of the magnet can all affect accuracy. Do you need to check the reputation of the master? Yes, usually it is recommended to check the reputation of the master. Generally speaking, the more famous a master is, the more reliable he/she is. A master's reputation comes from his/her works being recognized in the market and widely spread by people. Therefore, the technical finesse, packaging, and promotion are relatively strict. Don't worry too much because the development time of Jianzhan is still relatively short, and it has only been popular for the past 3-4 years. The technical level of most masters is not significantly different. It usually takes at least 20 years for a profession to show significant gaps in skills. Being too concerned about reputation may increase the risk of being cheated. Don't miss the works of new masters just because they are not yet famous. Currently, the number of Jianzhan masters is growing at a rate of nearly 100 people per year. They have many works with good quality, and they are relatively advantageous in terms of price. 4. SUGGESTIONS FROM THE EDITOR Don't compare prices, especially for beginners. This may cause some backlash when mentioned, but let me explain further. Firstly, for beginners, the opportunity to find a bargain without being scammed is almost non-existent, so don't count on it. Secondly, each master has a relatively independent pricing system, so comparing prices between different masters does not necessarily indicate any problems. Thirdly, the prices of Jianzhan from the same master may also vary due to differences in quality and target audience. In this case, you can choose to buy those with high cost performance, but it is also easy to buy those with poor quality at a low price. Therefore, you should consider multiple factors when making your purchase.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A TOP-QUALITY JIANZHAN? IT SHOULD MEET THESE CONDITIONS.
As an artistic teacup, Jianzhan is in line with popular aesthetics and is therefore very popular. After being exposed to Jianzhan, many people hope to have a deeper understanding of it. This beautiful object actually has basic and top-quality versions, and to learn how to appreciate Jianzhan and identify top-quality ones, you should consider the following points. Firstly, there is the Tu Hao Jianzhan. For this type of Jianzhan, if the color is a deep blackish-green and the stripes are smooth and silky, then the basic requirements are met. However, to reach top-quality status, each stripe between the Tu Hao markings must be evenly spaced and arranged in an orderly manner, with a perfect glaze color. At the same time, the contrast between the glaze color and the markings should be unified, giving a sense of smooth beauty. Only then can it be considered top-quality. Next is the You Di Jianzhan. The markings on this type of Jianzhan resemble drops of oil, so in terms of aesthetics, to meet top-quality standards, the oil drop markings must have clear borders, a blackish-green background, and not be blurry or unclear. Roundness and size are also essential conditions. The markings need to be smooth and evenly arranged, not too sparse or too dense, and not distributed in a disorderly manner, which can be annoying. In addition, the most important and difficult-to-achieve point is that the size of the markings must be in proportion to the size of the Jianzhan. The perfect size ratio between the markings and the cup will provide visual enjoyment. Then there is the Jin Si Diao Hu Lu Jianzhan, which combines the characteristics of the previous two types of Jianzhan. To reach top-quality status, it must meet the top-quality standards of the two previous types of Jianzhan. In other words, it must have smooth and silky Tu Hao markings, with large and round markings that are evenly distributed over the entire cup. The cup's background should be blackish-green, and the markings should complement each other, creating a strong sense of texture and layering. Finally, there is the Yi Hao Jianzhan, which is a collective term for all types of Jianzhan other than the previous three, named after their unique markings. For the markings resembling fly wings, they should not overlap and have clear and precise grid lines. They should also have the misty and transparent beauty of cicada wings, with the cup's background color appearing faintly. For the snake-skin markings, they should resemble scales, layered and arranged neatly. The markings on the Yao Bian Jianzhan should radiate out like a halo, with a magnificent atmosphere. All Jianzhan have top-quality standards, and when appreciating them, one can also use these standards to evaluate whether they meet the top-quality criteria
DIFFERENCE AND VALUE OF WOOD-FIRED VS ELECTRIC-FIRED JIANZHAN TEACUPS.
Jianzhan teacups are fired with a single color but come out of the kiln with a thousand hues. This is the greatest charm of wood-fired Jianzhan, as well as a manifestation of its difficulty to fire. In the same kiln, the glaze colors of Jianzhan vary greatly, even for those placed in the same box or bowl. If a wood-fired Jianzhan and an electric-fired Jianzhan have the same pattern effect, the wood-fired one would be preferred. Both types of Jianzhan use exactly the same raw materials, but differ in the way they are heated and the kiln environment. Wood-fired Jianzhan has a smoother glaze due to the warmer temperature of the kiln. The craft principle of Jianzhan is unique, and the formation of its patterns requires extremely high precision in terms of time and temperature. Once outside of this narrow range, the patterns will disappear forever. Both electric and wood-fired Jianzhan face this technical challenge, but electric firing allows for better control over the firing process and can produce effects that are difficult to achieve with wood-firing. In terms of pattern effects, electric-fired Jianzhan has made significant progress and solved many of the technical bottlenecks of wood-firing, which has allowed the industry to form and develop. In turn, this industry development can help promote the wood-firing process, but at present, there have not been many achievements in wood-firing. In ancient times, Jianzhan was fired using the wood-firing process. In modern times, with the invention of electricity, electric-fired Jianzhan emerged. So, what are the differences between traditional wood-firing and modern firing techniques (electric, gas, coal, etc.)? To summarize briefly, there are several differences between wood-firing and modern firing techniques. Firstly, because wood-firing requires continually adding wood during the firing process, the temperature fluctuates, resulting in uneven bubble sizes and a certain sense of hierarchy in the glaze. In contrast, modern gas and electric firing techniques produce even and dense bubble sizes. Secondly, because the temperature in wood-fired kilns is difficult to control and varies, it results in the color of Jianzhan being difficult to control and exhibiting a deep and light effect. In contrast, gas kilns can maintain a constant temperature, resulting in more stable colors. Thirdly, wood-fired kilns produce ashes and flames that easily enter the kiln and settle naturally on the body of the Jianzhan. With prolonged high-temperature fusion with the glaze, this creates a warm and layered color. Of course, the above methods are only one way to distinguish between different firing techniques, and modern firing techniques can also replicate the effects of wood-firing. Therefore, the above information should only be used as a reference. Some Jianzhan enthusiasts have asked, "Why are wood-fired Jianzhan teacups so expensive?" Wood-fired Jianzhan teacups are expensive because there are many constraints to firing them in a wood kiln. Firstly, the government strictly prohibits wood-firing except under special approval in order to protect forest resources. Additionally, there are high requirements in terms of both funding and technology, which means that it is not something that anyone can do by simply building a stove and firing porcelain with a few pieces of wood. Wood-firing is also an ancient firing method that uses wood as fuel. In ancient times, firing porcelain in a wood kiln required covering the porcelain body and isolating the wood ash from the glaze surface to prevent ash falling on the glaze or leaving fire marks. In modern ceramic production, firing techniques have matured, and modern aesthetics are vastly different from those of ancient times. Modern wood-firing pursues the natural combination of wood ash and clay. Kiln masters cannot predict the outcome of a kiln firing, but one thing is certain: each porcelain piece that comes out of the firing is unique. Wood-firing is a direct dialogue between the kiln master and the kiln, using the most primitive method to create amazing works of art. The fired ceramic products display yin-yang changes between the fired and unfired sides, as well as the marks left by the flames. They emit a simple, profound, and antique beauty that is the reason why wood-firing ceramic artists are so fascinated with it and put in a lot of effort to pursue it.