Basic Introduction to Jian Zhan
Jian zhan, or tea cups, originate from Jianyang District, Nanping City, Fujian Province. Nanping City has identified 11 large-scale mineral deposits, such as piezoelectric quartz and melting quartz in Zhenghe County, sulfur mines in Pucheng County, fluorite mines in Shaowu, Jianyang, Songxi, and Guangze Counties, graphite mines in Jianyang, niobium-tantalum mines in Yanping, limestone and cement siliceous raw materials in Shunchang. There are 15 medium-sized deposits, including four lead-zinc mines, four fluorite mines, one limestone mine, two serpentine rock mines, two sulfur mines, one niobium-tantalum mine, and one cement siliceous raw material deposit. Over 80 small-scale mineral deposits have been identified. More than 700 known mineralization points and over 200 geochemical anomalies have also been recorded, along with over 200 heavy mineral anomalies (including 14 gold anomalies and 112 tungsten, tin, and molybdenum anomalies), over 50 diversion anomalies, and over 20 magnetic anomalies. These conditions make the area suitable for producing jian zhan.
Jian zhan typically have wide mouths and small bases, some resembling funnels. They often have ring feet that are shallow, with a characteristic knife-cutting technique (commonly known as chamfering) at the foot base, and the bottom of the foot is slightly outwardly inclined. A few have solid feet (primarily small round bowls). The design is rustic and substantial, and they generally feel heavy. Jian zhan are divided into four main categories: open mouth, flared mouth, contracted mouth, and straight mouth, each further divided into large, medium, and small sizes; small round bowls fall under the category of small contracted mouth bowls. Open mouth bowls feature an outwardly flared rim, sharp round lip, sloping or slightly curved walls, a relatively shallow body, and an inwardly tapering base below. They have shallow ring feet and resemble a funnel shape, commonly referred to as a “coolie hat bowl.” In December 2016, the original State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine approved geographical indication product protection for “Jian Zhan.”
Product Characteristics
(1) Appearance Quality Features
The body is thick and sturdy, with an antique glaze and a variety of textural changes. The shape is that of a tea cup, with a heavy body and gray-black color; the glaze adheres tightly to the body, and each cup's glaze texture is unique.
(2) Body Fe2O3 Content: 6% – 10%.
(3) Water Absorption Rate: ≤5.0%.
Historical Folklore
The Jian kiln was renowned for its black porcelain production. It began in the Tang Dynasty and reached its peak during the Southern Song period before ending in the Qing Dynasty. Originally a folk kiln in the Jiangnan region, by the late Northern Song Dynasty, it produced black cups specifically for imperial use due to the special need for “tea fighting.” Some tea cups had the words “for imperial use” or “tribute cups” carved on their bottoms. This type of porcelain is called Tenmoku glaze in Japan, which is highly valued in both Japanese and Korean tea ceremonies. The body is thick and firm, with a light black or purple-black color, and the main shapes are bowls and cups.
In the Song Dynasty, the Jian kiln produced Jian zhan. Famous poets and scholars of the time wrote verses praising them. Examples include “New purple rabbit hair cups,” “Suddenly surprised by the rabbit hair patterns on the noon cups,” “Jian'an porcelain cups with partridge spots,” “Pine wind sounds like thunder, rabbit hair like frost,” “Partridge spots with clouds swirling on the surface, rabbit hair cups with snow as the water,” and “Sipping spring dew from partridge spots.”
In the 1980s, the craft of Jian zhan was revived. By the end of 2017, there were 1,650 Jian zhan companies and individual producers in Jianyang District, Nanping City. Ranging from large-scale enterprises to family workshops, their products were sold in domestic markets like Beijing and Shanghai as well as internationally, including in Japan, with an annual output value of approximately 1.35 billion yuan.
Manufacturing Process
(1) Process Flow
The main manufacturing process consists of preparing the clay body, shaping the form, drying and glazing, and high-temperature firing.
(2) Key Process Points
Clay Body Preparation: Yellow clay, clay, red soil, etc., are used as the main raw materials, mixed according to the requirements for making cups, placed in a pool to soak and stir into slurry, sieved through a 100-200 mesh screen, soaked, stirred, and sieved again, repeated 4-5 times, then made into paste-like clay, sealed and stored in a shaded place to age until the clay body is evenly distributed, fine, free of visible impurities, with a moisture content of 26% to 28%, and a fineness of less than 0.5% when passing through a 100-mesh sieve.
Shaping: Hand shaping and semi-hand shaping methods are used.
Drying and Glazing: After the shaped bodies have dried to a certain extent, they are trimmed, then dried and bisque-fired before glazing, or trimmed and glazed directly. The glazing is done using an internal dipping and external soaking method, leaving part of the body near the foot unglazed.
High-Temperature Firing: Traditional wood-burning, electric, and gas kilns are used. During the firing process, the atmosphere inside the kiln is controlled as oxidizing or reducing flame, and the pieces are fired once at temperatures ranging from 1200°C to 1400°C.