Hand Painted San Cai Porcelain Gaiwan

This gaiwan is also called a sancai bowl, loosely representing the synchronicity of man, earth, and sky: the lid represents the sky, the bowl represents mankind, and the saucer represents the earth.

This traditional gaiwan features a hand-painted magnolia flower, providing just enough decoration without being gaudy. Unlike the monotonous, sometimes boring theme of pure-color gaiwans, the delicate, charming flower painted on this one gives it a bright, vivid appearance.

This gaiwan is a piece of great art as well as of masterful crafting, after 90 hours spent firing in a kiln and undergoing about 76 different pottery techniques.

Furnace Transmutation

The occurrence of 窑变, or furnace transmutation, is a phenomenon that occurs throughout the manufacturing process of some ceramics. It results in unpredictable, uncontrolled color changes along porcelain surfaces caused by variations in temperature inside the kiln. This is part of why a uniform glaze can still result in many unpredictable and beautiful colors, manifesting the secrets of ancient oriental ceramic arts.

Origin

Located in Fujian province, Dehua County maintains a great reputation for its ceramic and porcelain production. White porcelain from Dehua has a bright, pure white color with excellent light transmission; its ivory white (象牙白) and Chinese white (中国白) porcelains have been well-known both at home and abroad from as far back as the Ming and Qing dynasties. He Zongchao, Lin Chaojing, and Zhang Shoushan, among others, were some of the most famous ceramic artists during the Ming dynasty.