About Ceramics
First developed during the Northern Song Dynasty, celadon is a transparent but colored glaze known for its green to sky blue hue, and for the fine network of crackling on a finished piece. Our collection are true celadons, all fired in a reductive kiln above 1260C using controlled concentrations of iron oxide to bring out its color.
The Vessel
Unlike most pottery that is thrown and trimmed on a potter’s wheel, zisha pots are formed using wooden paddles and small rolling pins. Ya Ping began these pots by pressing the clay into molds to create the initial shape before finishing the handle, spout, and lid by hand. Zisha clays have a long husbandry with tea preparation. Used with just one tea type, each pot is seasoned over time and use, absorbing the oils from the steeping tea and creating a unique terroir.
Shipiao teapots have a history that traces back 500 years to the Ming Dynasty. The form has changed little in the intervening years, staying true to its iconic, pyramid shape. Shipiao has long served as the standard for evaluating the craftsmanship and ability of aspiring potters, and as an instrument to evaluate and judge a tea’s quality.
The Materials
These pots are a study in materiality. The grain of the hand carved walnut handle, coupled with the grog-rich stoneware, highlight each element in it’s natural state. While unglazed, five days of heavy wood firing give these pots a unique patina of warm copper and golds. Iron oxide spots fleck the surface. This luster is exaggerated with a week of tea seasoning, which draws even more iridescent colors to the surface.
The Artist
Intrigue of surface and texture abound in this latest series of stoneware teapots from Taiwanese artist, Song Jin. Deeply inscribed line work hints at written characters, landscapes, or tiny vignettes, hidden beneath a layer of unctuous shino glaze. Ranging from pillowy white to breaks of burnt pumpkin and orange peel, these vessels highlight the breadth one glaze may take across multiple, repeat firings. Subtle crazing runs through the surface of the glaze, lines that pose to create more contrast over each slow, successive pot of tea.
Caring for Ceramics
Thoroughly rinse any particles of sand from the interior before use. Dedicate one tea type per pot. Eventually, a tea pot will be seasoned with the particular character of a tea. Hand-wash only without soap or detergent.