Handmade Jianyang Jianzhan Tea Cup - Bodhi Leaf

Jianzhan with Bodhi leaf is famous for the interior leaf as natural as though it were living. According to legend, when the artist was firing the Jianzhan in the ancient times, he directly put it into the kiln without attention even though a leaf fell into it. While opening the kiln later, a magical scene appeared. The leaf was perfectly integrated into the glaze and was completely preserved. Since then, this type of Jianzhan has been passed down.

This TeaVivre Jianzhan elects the Bodhi leaf with clear veins which is straightly placed on body surface of the glaze. Through high-temperature firing progress, not only the Bodhi leaf is not destroyed into ash, but also distinct veins and lines are fully kept on this black tea bowl. After pouring the tea liquor, with ripples swaying, the Bodhi leaf inside seems to float in the tea liquor, waggling and vivid.

Notice:Every leaf of this Jianzhan is picked of euphylla and shaped at a high heat. The types of leaves in the Jianzhan vary from each other for their shapes appear diversely.

Jian ware represents the pinnacle of ancient Chinese black porcelain, and it is also a pottery art that combines earth and fire. Using the clay and glaze with rich iron in Jianyang as raw material, it has to process 13 classical Chinese traditional handicrafts such as selecting porcelain and setting cup-model. It’s gorgeous pattern is naturally produced in a kiln where to be fired in 1300℃ high temperature. Therefore, each cup is a unique "orphan" under uncontrollable situation, which is also the distinctive charm of Jianzhan.

Jian zhan has the characteristics of “one color into the kiln, a riot of colors out”. Each Jianzhan adopts the same glaze, but due to the diverse firing methods of masters, different indoor temperature and other factors, the final cups will be distinct in the patterns and glaze colors. As we all know that no two leaves are exactly the same in the world, which is also applicable to Jianzhan. However, one type of Jianzhans are similar in general.

The Bodhi leaf is entirely integrated with the glazed surface, and the clear texture of the leaves can be felt by touching the bottom of the cup.

Jian ware is made of the clay with iron content over 8%. Therefore, drinking tea with Jianzhan can not only improve the flavor, but also gives a softer taste.

Heavy: It refers to the thick and dense feeling in the hand.

Big: It refers to the large mouth of the cup, convenient to watch tea soup.

Black: It refers to the original glazed color of Jianzhan, which not only can be enjoyed when drinking tea, but also brings out the beautiful color of tea soup.

When using Jianzhan for the first time, there’s no need to experience the complicated process like Zisha teapot. You can get rid of the ash and earthy smell of kiln directly with clean water, and then use boiled water to rinse it or boil for a few minutes.

Jianzhan (Jian ware), the well-known Chinese porcelain in Han nationality, belongs to one of the eight famous porcelains in Song Dynasty, which can trace back to more than 1,000 years. It derives the name from its origin, Jian An county in Song Dynasty. During that time, scholars and literati advocated comparing tea, so in addition to providing high-quality tea, it is also necessary to have tea sets that are most suitable for this competition. Among the black porcelain from Jian kiln, Jianzhan became one of the most excellent tea sets, because its dense clay contains fine pores that are conducive to heat preservation, appropriate for tea competition. .

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