Handmade Jianyang Jianzhan Gaiwan – Golden Autumn

Jianzhan, or Jian ware, represents the pinnacle of ancient Chinese black porcelain, and is an art of pottery that combines earth with fire. Using clay and glaze rich in iron content from Jianyang as its raw material, it has to undergo about thirteen separate Chinese traditional handicrafts until completion, such as the selection of the porcelain and setting of the model. The gorgeous patterns are naturally produced in a kiln at temperatures of 1300C; because of this, each cup takes on a unique and one-of-a-kind design, adding to the distinctive charm of the ware.

Lin Jianfeng's Jianzhan tea cups are very beautiful, and the Gaiwan are equally impressive. This Golden Autumn Jianzhan Gaiwan features a glaze that is warm and lustrous, with three-dimensional, uniform oil spots that have a metallic feel. The glaze surface sparkles under the sunlight, resembling the afterglow of an autumn day, warm and tranquil. The Gaiwan has a thick wall, so there's no need to worry about it being too hot to handle, making it comfortable to use.

Lin Jianfeng, born in 1985 in Jianyang, grew up immersed in the world of Jian ware pottery, developing a deep passion for it from a young age. At the pivotal age of thirty, he gave up a lucrative income in a major city to return to his hometown and study the art of Jian ware pottery under Master Chen Chunhua, a bearer of this intangible cultural heritage. With a relentless drive to research, a willingness to experiment, and a resilience that only grew with each setback, he built upon the traditional black glaze and silver droplets to create new glaze colors that resonated with contemporary firing techniques, winning the hearts of many pottery enthusiasts. His works have been permanently collected by multiple museums and he has received numerous awards over the years.

It is heavy, feeling dense and thick when held; the large mouth of the cup makes it convenient and easy to watch the tea soup; the original glazed color of the material is black, bringing out the color of the tea; and when using Jianzhan for the first time, there is no need to “season” the material like with Zisha teapots. The ashy, earthy smell of the kiln can be cleaned off with fresh, warm water, and then after a boiling rinse of a few minutes, the cup is ready to use.

Jianzhan is a well-known Chinese porcelain of the Han nationality. It is one of the eight famous porcelain types of the Song dynasty, tracing back further than a thousand years; it takes its name from its origin of Jian An county during that time. Scholars and tea drinkers during the time period strongly advocated the comparison of different tea types, and as such required tea sets of a high quality along with the tea itself. Jianzhan has dense, tight pores conducive to the retention of heat, making it appropriate for this use.

In 2011, the workmanship of Jianzhan crafting was included on the list of national intangible cultural heritage.