LocatedinJian鈥檃n,today鈥檚Jian鈥檕uCityinnorthernFujianProvince,theJiankilnevolvedfromaprivateoperationinsouthernChinathatwaslaunchedinthe10thcentury,andremainedinbusinessthroughtheQingDynasty(1644-1911).Itssignatureproductistheblack-glazedware,whichgainedcurrencyduringtheSongDynasty,whenteadrinkingbecamepopularamongtheupperclassandteacompetitionwasveryfashionable.
Teamakingatthetimewasmuchdifferentfromtoday.TheSongpeoplefinelygroundtealeavesandconcoctedthemintoapastebeforeaddinghotwater.Whenmixedwithwaterathicklayeroffrothwascreatedandcolorandshapeofthefrothwasakeycriteriainthetea鈥檚popularity.Asthewhitefrothstandsoutagainstablackbackground,theJianbowlwasfavoredbyteaconnoisseurs.SongEmperorZhaoJi(1082-1135),abigtealover,laudedtheJianbowlasthetopchoiceamongotherporcelainteacups,andpersonallydesignedarangeofbowlswhichservedtoaddmomentumtoitspopularity.Asaresult,morekilnswerebuilttomakeblack-glazedwares.
TheJianbowlishighlyvaluedbecauseofitsrarity.Itismadeofaclayrichinferricoxidethathaslowmalleabilityandrefractoriness.ToproducethedesiredglazeandpatternoftheJianbowl,ithowevermustbefiredatatemperatureabove1300.Thedefectrateisthereforeextraordinarilyhigh.Thereissofarnosolutiontothisproblem,evenwithtoday鈥檚moderntechnologies.
TheSongmethodofteamakingfelloutofpublicfavoraftertheYuanDynasty(1271-1368),butfoundaresurgenceinneighboringJapan.JapanesemonksstudyingintheTianmuMountainregion(ZhejiangProvince)introducedChinesetea,teawares,andteamakingmethodstotheircountryintheSouthernSongDynasty(1127-1279).InthefollowingcenturiestheJianbowlwasthecenterpieceinJapaneseteaceremonies,andexertedlastinginfluenceonJapaneseandKoreanceramics.AsitwasbroughtfromtheTianmuMountain,itwascalledTemmokuinJapan.
TheJianbowlisdistinctiveforitskaleidoscopeglazetransmutationpattern,whichisthespontaneousresultoffiringcombinedwithdifferenttechniques.ThecreationofamasterpieceJiancupishence,tosomeextent,amatterofluck.Themostprizedglazepatternsarehare鈥檚fur,oilspotandYaobian(meaningdazzlingandbrillianttransmutation).
Theiron-richglazematerialoftheJianbowlcrystallizesunderhightemperatures.Inthisprocesstheferricoxidebuildsuponthesurface,andformscrystalspots,streaksoramorphouspatternsofmetalliclusterasthetemperaturedrops.
PartridgefeatherglazeisamysteryofJianwares.Thenamecomesfromwhitemottlesonblacklikethoseseenonthepartridgebird鈥檚chest.Thesebulgingshinyspotsalsoresemblepearlsseeminglyrollinginapitch-darkbowlwall.ThereisnoexistingcompletepieceofpartridgefeatherJianware,inChinaorJapan,andallattemptstoreproduceitaftertheSongDynastyhavefailed.
Artistically,theJianbowlisatreasureofChina,andishighlyprizedbyconnoisseurs.Functionally,itisaprimeteawarethatretainsthepuretasteofthebeverage.
SONGXIAOYANisacourseplannerofantiquechinawareattheAncientPorcelainCourtyardMuseum.
Hare鈥檚FurJianBowl(PalaceMuseuminBeijing)
Thebodynarrowsdownfromabroadopeningtowardsasmallroundfoot.Theinsideisfullycoveredinblackglaze.Outsidetheglazewasappliedtoonlytheupperpart,andextendeddownwardinstreakslikeatrackoftears.Thecolorattherimissepia,andgraduallyintensifiesintopureblackatthebottom.Theglazeiscoveredinhairystreaksresemblingthehare鈥檚fur.OilSpotTianmuWare
InSeptember2016thisitemfetchedUS$10.3millionataChristie鈥檚auctioninNewYork,settinganewrecordforJianwares.Ofthetypicaloilspotdesign,itisjudgedbyconnoisseurstobetheoneinthebestconditionandofsupremequalityamongallexistingJianwaresoutsidemuseums.