In the long history of the Chinese land, Jingdezhen is like a bright pearl. It has been inheriting ceramic techniques for thousands of years and firmly guarding the soul of Chinese culture. Through the ages, generation after generation of craftsmen have taken root here. With their unwavering perseverance, they tell touching ceramic stories to the world. Some craftsmen boldly innovate while inheriting, and some focus on the continuation of ancient techniques. Ultimately, it is their deep and passionate love for ceramics that supports them to move forward.
Today, Tongxin She Teahouse brings a highly collectible masterpiece - a chai-fired (wood-fired), hand-painted, powder enamel, "Nine Elders of Fragrant Hill" iron-red gaiwan from Yizhentang in Jingdezhen. Yizhentang stands out in the ceramic industry with its high - end positioning and unique style. It skillfully connects tea with utensils, utensils with life, and life with art. With its outstanding painting style and precise exclusive positioning, it shines with extraordinary charm. Its exquisite painting skills inherit the painting style of the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods. The color materials are fine, the colors are soft, and the gradations of cinnabar washes are rich. The production process is complex. It not only has the meticulous and detailed brushwork of meticulous painting but also goes through numerous complex steps such as pattern drafting, pattern opening, pattern making, pattern photographing, line drawing, color material preparation, coloring, and washing and dyeing, showing the charm of imperial wares to the fullest.
The theme of the gaiwan's pattern is "The Picture of the Nine Elders of Fragrant Hill", and the pure hand - painted process makes the brushstrokes extremely delicate. It is worth mentioning that since each gaiwan is hand - painted, there are slight differences in each one, which adds to its unique charm. The gaiwan has a dignified and elegant shape, with soft and smooth lines, fine胎质 (body texture), and a warm and moist glaze surface. Holding it in the hand, it exudes an elegant temperament.
The "Nine Elders of Fragrant Hill" refer to Bai Juyi, Hu Nie, Ji Jiao, Lu Zhen, Zhang Hun, Liu Zhen, Li Yuanshuang, another Bai Juyi (there may be a repetition in the original content, presumably an error, and it is speculated to be a different person), Zheng Ju, and Shi Rumang. These nine elders lived in the late Tang Dynasty. They were deeply dissatisfied with the imperial court at that time. Disgusted with the worldly affairs and sharing the same aspirations, they formed the "Nine Elders' Association" on Fragrant Hill in Luoyang, and thus got the name "Nine Elders of Fragrant Hill". Their stories add profound cultural connotations to the gaiwan, allowing users to feel as if they can travel through time and have a dialogue with the ancients while tasting tea.
This gaiwan is fired in a wood - fired kiln, using pine wood as fuel. During the firing process, firewood is continuously added to make the temperature in the kiln rise slowly, so that the utensils in the kiln are heated evenly and slowly. Pine wood is rich in oil. The pine resin volatilized during combustion nourishes the porcelain quality. Coupled with the combination of water vapor in the furnace and the porcelain glaze, the fired porcelain has a fine, smooth, warm, and clean glaze surface. Wood - fired ceramics pursue the original nature, calmly accept the shaping of the porcelain billet by the kiln fire, and present a simple, thick, and rustic beauty. Each wood - fired work is a common masterpiece of nature and craftsmen, containing unique charm.
After understanding the wood - fired kiln firing, there is also a little - known but extremely precious technique - the "red furnace" technique in wood - fired ceramics. In the Qing Dynasty, red furnaces were common kilns for firing painted porcelain in Jingdezhen. However, today, there are not many craftsmen who inherit this ancient technique. The diameter and height of the red furnace's hearth are each about one meter. It has a bottom and is cylindrical. Bricks are laid around it, and there is a circle of space left between the cylinder and the bricks for burning charcoal. When firing, the painted porcelain pieces are placed in the hearth. The charcoal around the furnace burns from slow to rapid, and when the required temperature is reached, the addition of firewood stops.
This whole set of processes is complex and particular. In the "charcoal burning" link, high - quality pine wood needs to be selected as the raw material and hammered into charcoal, and the charcoal is fired to the best state, which depends entirely on the experienced craftsman's eyesight. When "sealing the furnace", the inner circle of the furnace is filled with the burned charcoal to ensure a relatively uniform temperature in the furnace. "Firing the furnace" makes the furnace red - hot through the full combustion of charcoal, allowing the porcelain in the hearth to fully condense with the materials. "Monitoring the fire temperature" is the most crucial. Without the aid of any external temperature - measuring tools, the craftsman master accurately controls the firing temperature only by observing the state of the furnace - burning site. Finally, when "opening the kiln", the kiln is slowly opened after it cools down, and the porcelain is taken out, and the firing of the painted porcelain is completed. This is the magical ancient method - "red furnace firing".
Compared with electric - furnace firing, the porcelain fired by the ancient red - furnace method has a vivid and lively picture, pure color development, and the red color is gorgeous and eye - catching without losing elegance. When we hold this gaiwan, which carries thousands of years of techniques and profound culture, in our hands, we can truly feel the faint warmth it exudes. This emotional connection with the utensil is precisely the tranquility and happiness we pursue in a fast - paced life. It is not only a tea set but also a collectible work of art, witnessing the glory and inheritance of Jingdezhen's thousands - year - old ceramic culture.