The Tenmoku tea cup has garnered widespread recognition in both Western and Japanese markets for its exceptional craftsmanship and artisanal teaware, particularly in the creation of handmade cups and teapots. Renowned for their diverse designs, extensive color palette, and unwavering commitment to quality, these cups and teapots are a rarity in the contemporary market.
Distinguished by their 100% food-safe composition, elevated iron content, and exquisite glazing, Jianzhan Tenmoku products stand out as a pinnacle of superior quality. Their unique features not only contribute to the aesthetic appeal but also signify a dedication to providing tea enthusiasts with an unparalleled experience that seamlessly integrates into daily routines while promoting health and well-being.
When you choose Jianzhan Tenmoku, you are opting for more than just a teacup – you are investing in an assurance of enduring warmth for your beverage, ensuring each subsequent sip surpasses the last in richness and flavor. This collection caters to discerning tea lovers and fine art collectors who inherently recognize and appreciate the intrinsic value of these meticulously crafted items.
In a market where such exceptional attributes are scarce, Jianzhan Tenmoku remains a testament to the rare blend of functionality and artistry, making it the preferred choice for those who seek excellence in both their daily rituals and the objects that accompany them.
Product Features:
1. High Firing Temperature (1300 Celsius):
- Crafted at an elevated temperature of 1300 Celsius, ensuring durability and resilience in every piece.
2. Heat Preservation & Enhanced Taste:
- Specially designed for heat preservation, each sip becomes progressively richer and more flavorful, enhancing the overall tea-drinking experience.
3. Over 72 Hours of Precision Handcrafting:
- Meticulously handcrafted for over 72 hours by skilled artisans, showcasing a dedication to superior craftsmanship and attention to detail.
4. Own a Masterpiece in Teaware Industry:
- Possess a unique masterpiece in the teaware industry with distinctive shapes and expertly applied glaze, setting Jianzhan Tenmoku apart as a true work of art.
5. Ideal for Art Collection:
- Beyond functionality, these teaware pieces are ideal for art collectors, representing a fusion of utility and aesthetic appeal.
6. Perfect Use for All Occasions:
- Versatile and perfect for all occasions, these teaware items seamlessly blend into daily rituals, offering both practicality and sophistication.
Craftsmanship:
Over 72 Hours of Precision Handcrafting:
Each piece of Tenmokus Teaware undergoes meticulous handcrafting, requiring over 72 hours to complete. Our dedicated craftsmen, with years of training, contribute to the high quality that makes each piece of Tenmoku pottery truly exceptional. Crafted with love and skill, each piece stands as a unique work of art.
Own a Masterpiece in Teaware Industry:
The distinctive bowl shape with a wide brim allows for perfect tea stewing and cooling. The high-temperature glaze, rich in iron content, creates a blackened and uniquely beautiful pattern exclusive to Jianzhan Tenmoku pottery.
Heat Preservation & Improved Taste:
The functional design of Jian Zhan Tenmoku, including iron content, sand content, cup embryo thickness, and glaze, contributes to heat preservation and taste enhancement. Whether it's liquor, water, or coffee, the unique properties of Jian Zhan Tenmoku tea cups bring out the mellow and delicious qualities of any beverage.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee:
We stand by the quality of our Jianzhan Tenmoku teaware. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, ensuring your confidence in the exceptional craftsmanship and functionality of our products.
Jian Zhan Tea Cup Process: How is Tenmoku made?
Material Selection & Preparation in Jian Ware Craftsmanship
The foundation of exceptional Jian Ware lies in meticulous material selection and preparation. Both the glaze and clay demand a high iron content, a criterion met by the natural resources of Jianzhou, which consequently became the epicenter for this distinct pottery. During the Song Dynasty, attempts by other regions to replicate the quality of Jianyao’s cups were futile due to the lower iron content in their local ore.
The chosen materials undergo a rigorous process of crushing and sieving to attain a judicious thickness. The resulting clay slurry and glaze are then stored in a controlled environment with regulated humidity and temperature. Today, advancements in technology make the crushing process more efficient, yet the artist's vigilance remains crucial to ensure uniformity and prevent cracking during firing.
Shaping and Firing the Base
Once the clay is prepared, it undergoes kneading to eliminate air and enhance density. Handcrafted on a turning table, tea cups take shape under the skilled hands of the artist. This labor-intensive process, though time-honored, ensures each cup is unique, reflecting the artisan's dedication to preserving the traditional craftsmanship of shaping and firing the base.
Afterwards, a small knife/tool is used to modify and perfect tea cup.
At last, the unglazed tea cup is fired. This process will strengthen the cup and filter out those cups that are fragile.
Tenmoku Glaze & Firing: Crafting Elegance
After the meticulous creation of the base tea cup, the transformative process begins with glazing. The unique Tenmoku glaze is crafted using a blend of natural iron ore and plant ash, meticulously combined to create a harmonious composition.
The complexity of the glazing process lies in the careful selection of different iron ore and plant ash variations. This deliberate choice influences the crystallization patterns that emerge during the high-temperature firing. Achieving the perfect blend poses a challenge, as the raw materials possess inherently unique characteristics. Ceramic artists engage in a nuanced tweaking process to attain the desired result, often opting to procure a surplus of raw materials to minimize the need for frequent adjustments.
Jian Zhan tea cups, exemplifying a characteristic half-glazed appearance, undergo a specific glazing technique. The cups are skillfully dipped into the glaze, leaving the bottom part unglazed. This practice, refined through extensive practice, demands a delicate balance—ensuring the glaze is neither too thin, allowing for proper crystallization during firing, nor too thick, preventing the glaze from adhering excessively to the bottom. The mastery of this artistry lies in the hands of the ceramic artist, who, through dedication and skill, brings forth the elegant fusion of form and glaze in every Jian Zhan tea cup.
Once the glaze is applied, it will be put into an oven and fired at a temperature around 1300ºC (2370ºF). It's said that firing the oven using pinewood offers the best effect.
Precision in Firing: Crafting with Exactitude
The temperature during firing becomes a critical parameter, subject to slight adjustments based on the specific glaze type and the desired crystallization effects envisioned by the artist. This intricate process, akin to an exact science, demands meticulous attention, as a variance of a few degrees can dramatically alter the final outcome. Notably, the art of Jian Zhan involves a delicate dance of temperatures, where nuanced adjustments contribute to the emergence of unique patterns and colors in the crystallization process.
An intriguing facet of this craft lies in the occasional discovery of new patterns and colors, often stemming from unintentional mistakes in glaze blending or variations in oven temperatures. These unplanned occurrences add an element of serendipity to the artistry, unveiling unexpected beauty born from experimentation.
Upon the completion of the firing process, the artist assumes the role of a discerning curator, carefully examining the quality of each individual cup. Cups that bear cracks or imperfections, no matter how minor, are deemed unworthy and respectfully disposed of. This commitment to quality control ensures that only the finest, flawless Jian Zhan tea cups make their way to tea enthusiasts, preserving the legacy of this ancient art form.
The cups that pass the quality inspection will be divided into different grades and sold to tea enthusiasts.
When you order Jian Zhan from GOSHLE, you'll be assured that:
- We never ship you a faulty Jian Zhan cup. These will be filtered out during our procurement process.
- The measure of the cup will only differ by only +/- 3mm (0.12in) relative to the specified measures on the product page.
- The glaze fully covers the inside of the tea cup. The base cup surface is not visible.
- The glaze on the inside and the outside don't have holes.
- The glaze and its crystallization is considered to be of great quality by our Jian ware experts.
