——Yuzhou Huading Jun kiln "Dunhuang Impression" tea vessel research and development documentary
Drunken Tea Jun-360
In 2021, he went to Shenyuan Town, Yuzhou City for many times to jointly promote the work of ceramic culture and history with the masters of arts and crafts in the jun porcelain industry and the masters of ceramic art. Among them, he went to Huading Jun Kiln several times to talk with the leader Zhai Qun. In recent years, the national ceramic industry has been cold, the market is sluggish, and consumption is weak. Especially since the new crown epidemic in early 2020, all walks of life in consumer goods have been affected to varying degrees, and it is not easy for jun porcelain kilns to survive, let alone process innovation and sales growth. Huading Jun Kiln can buck the trend under the downward situation of the industry, which shows that it is different from the usual superiority. On December 17th, which is not only a weekend holiday, but also the day when Huading Jun Kiln opened, our group went to the firing workshop of Huading Jun Kiln as scheduled to conduct an exclusive interview on the research and development of "Dunhuang Impression" tea glaze and market feedback effect.
"Tell me about the development process of 'Dunhuang Impression', when did it start?"
After a little contemplation, Zhai Qun began to talk: "At the turn of spring and summer last year, when I opened the kiln in an experimental kiln, I stumbled upon several works with obvious color contrasts and strange kiln changes. In his son's words, 'like a cloud like fog and like the wind, like a bird like a phoenix like a fairy', anyway, I can't say what it looks like. At that time, no one paid much attention. Until one day, when the son and son-in-law were discussing the glaze color and the kiln change, they suddenly said, 'Look, looking at a pot as a whole, is it a bit like the Dunhuang murals?' A sentence caused a discussion about these pots, and also traced back to the reason why the kiln was fired. ”
"So the first appearance of this glaze color was accidental?" I interjected.
"From accidental appearance to forming your own style, the middle is a leap, and the process is very difficult. After that discussion, we determined the direction of the kiln change as dunhuang murals, and according to this direction, a series of adjustments were made from glaze combination, firing control, glazing techniques, heating and cooling systems. To this end, together with my son and son-in-law, I carefully studied the Dunhuang murals and clarified their context, artistic essence and color style. ”
Between conversations, Brother Zhai poured a cup of tea for several of the people present and continued.
"Dunhuang murals have a long history. As the treasure and essence of China's traditional mural art, it has a strong expressiveness of color, which is more consistent with the color of jun porcelain glaze. At the same time as the Dunhuang murals, Tang Jun flower glazed porcelain appeared, and the firing of Tang Dynasty flower glaze porcelain was closely related to the social environment and economic development at that time. Flower glaze porcelain is decorated with sky blue or moon white spots on black glaze, melasma glaze, sky blue glaze or tea end glaze, some of which are arranged regularly, some of which are randomly added a few points, and some are like waves. Because most of them are decorated on dark glazes, they set off light color spots, which are more fresh and elegant. This type of glaze is generally more plump in shape, with large color spots, imposing and solemn. ”
I have a very tacit understanding with Brother Zhai, and I have always listened and not interjected.
"My understanding of Dunhuang murals has three aspects. That is, colors, lines, images. The same is the artistic creation, jun porcelain and Dunhuang murals have a high degree of similarity, dunhuang murals the most important colors are red, blue, green three colors, basically throughout the entire period of creation. In the early days, red was the dominant color, and later the proportion of green and cyan gradually increased. Jun porcelain takes copper and iron as the main color element, and copper becomes green in the oxidation atmosphere and red in the reducing atmosphere, which is the key element of firing into 'Dunhuang glaze'. Moreover, the pigment of the Dunhuang murals in the Tang Dynasty was the copper ore used in the glaze of jun porcelain later - malachite. This shows that the 'Dunhuang glaze' of Jun porcelain has a natural relationship with the Dunhuang murals. Dunhuang murals have many solid color parts, these parts are mainly black and white, as well as brown, these simple colors can give full play to the coordinated transition of color, play the role of cutting the painting block, so that the pure color can be naturally transition buffered, so that the mural is more natural and harmonious. The beauty of the application of mineral stone color in the Dunhuang murals, the beauty of the vicissitudes, the beauty of the overlapping colors shown by various color blocks, and the background color tone of the background on the beauty of the picture, bringing unlimited inspiration to the artists of gongbi and heavy color, dunhuang murals show the infinite charm of oriental colors, so that artists can copy and study the Dunhuang murals, and present more masterpieces through innovation. These are all useful references for our art creation of jun porcelain. ”
"The contours of the characters in the Tang to The Fifth Dynasties period are mostly outlined with ink lines, and almost no color is applied. The lines are light and smooth when used, sometimes dry and heavy, and with their changes, they show the subtlety of the character's expression and the fluttering of the clothes belt, which is sometimes called 'hair root out of flesh', 'Wu belt when the wind". The kiln transformation of Jun porcelain is similar to the image composed of figures or lines in Dunhuang murals, and the most popular 'Pure Land Change', in which the depiction of the Western paradise world appears. The flying sky, the Seven Treasures Lotus Pond, the pavilions, and the sea of clouds are swirling, rendering a happy and beautiful World of Buddha. ”
"Talk about the Jun porcelain of the Tang Dynasty, how to organically link the two, is there a cross-border component?" I brought the conversation to jun porcelain.
"In the 1960s, the zodiac kiln adjacent to The Temple, which is adjacent to the Shrine, first found flower glazed porcelain specimens, and later found flower glazed porcelain in the Duandian kiln, the Baiyu kiln under the Shrine and other places. In terms of its glaze color and spot color characteristics, it can be divided into two categories: one is black or black brown glaze, decorated with moon white or gray white color spots, and the other is black, moon white or jun blue glaze, decorated with sky blue pinstripe color spots. The strange and natural blue and white colored decoration has a northern local style. This kind of kiln color spots laid the foundation for the rise of jun porcelain, and the rise of "Tang Jun" created favorable conditions for "Song Jun" in technology, and also paved the way for the emergence of Northern Song Jun porcelain spots. ”
"From the Dunhuang murals to the Tang Jun flower glaze to the 'Dunhuang Impression', there are both differences and connections, which should not be considered cross-border, right?" However, giving the color of jun porcelain glaze and the cultural connotation of Dunhuang murals in Jun porcelain kilns is the essence of 'Dunhuang Impression' Jun porcelain glaze. We have clarified the historical context of Dunhuang murals and the glaze color characteristics of Tang Dynasty flower glaze porcelain, and we have targeted them in research and development. In order to increase the diversity of colors, the traditional furnace glaze is used as the basic glaze, highlighting the characteristics of modern jun porcelain, and changing the medium temperature glaze to high temperature glaze. Glazed raw materials are made of raw ore, on the basis of bowl medicine stone, copper flower, glass powder, chestnut ash, preparation of fuses, the introduction of Hatoyama copper ore, malachite, chestnut ditch red feldspar, horse tooth stone, sodium feldspar, potassium feldspar, talc, quartz and other ore materials, change the secondary preparation of raw materials for borax frit, the 5 yuan formula is adjusted to 12 yuan formula, only copper elements have malachite, copper flower, Doveyama copper ore three raw materials introduced, the composition content of more than several times the original composition, so that the jun glaze kiln color has sufficient space. In the firing control, the kiln door is closed at 400 degrees, and the heating system of 40 to 50 degrees celsius is maintained every half hour, and the fire is turned to fire at 980 degrees Celsius. The reduced fire heats up 20 to 30 degrees every half hour, and the fire is held in the temperature range of 1300 to 1305 degrees. According to the changes in weather and atmospheric pressure, the after-fire is mainly weakly reduced, and the heavy reduction and weak reduction are used flexibly to promote the formation of main colors such as red, green, blue and so on. The glazing process uses multiple glazing methods, the bottom glaze uses the immersion glaze method, strictly controls the glazing time, and applies thin glaze; there are more glaze application methods, mainly coating and smearing, and in individual cases, spraying, throwing and other techniques are used together, so as to achieve the degree of free retraction and organic combination of dynamic and static, and promote the emergence of 'Dunhuang impression' from all aspects. Manpower helps, glaze is natural. By the end of May 2021, the research and development of 'Dunhuang Impression' was basically successful. After the 'Dunhuang Impression' is fired, the glaze color changes are very rich, all kinds of colors are similar to the Dunhuang murals, no matter the level of the firing temperature, the weight of the atmosphere in the furnace, there are such traces, so the color and style of each kiln are relatively different, the main color is red, there are also green, but they are close to the color of the Dunhuang murals. Because the color of the Dunhuang murals is not a hue, green, green, yellow, red, this color through the process of jun porcelain kiln change, the shade of the tone, the color of red, green, blue, yellow, can appear. However, in general, the firing control is still quite difficult, and the pass rate is relatively low. ”
"After the 'Dunhuang Impression' was introduced to the market, it caused a warm response in the middle and high consumer groups. In just a few months, it has been recognized by jun porcelain lovers and the majority of tea lovers. 'Dunhuang Impression' became the image of jun porcelain tea set, equivalent to 'Zhai Qun Master Pot'. In November and December, the 'Dunhuang Impression' pot and single cup won the favor of consumers and became one of the highlights of jun porcelain tea sets. ”
"Tell me about the artistic characteristics of the 'Dunhuang Impression' tea set glaze?!"
"The 'Dunhuang Impression' series of tea sets expresses the agility of jun porcelain glaze color and thousands of images of kiln change artistic conception in the limited space of jun porcelain pot and master cup, which freehandly restores countless moments of Dunhuang murals, and is the exchange and integration of Tang Dynasty mural culture and jun porcelain art." Through the 'Dunhuang Impression' kiln changing glaze color and images, we seem to see the Hu Teng dance with a godly shape, which is both majestic and fast, resolute and unrestrained, but also soft and dashing, witty and interesting. It can also be seen that thousands of years ago, merchants, monks, explorers and sentient beings of different races and identities walking on the Silk Road trekked through the endless yellow sand, experienced countless obstacles and difficulties, connected the trajectory of the spread of ideas and cultures on the Eurasian continent, and witnessed the process of cultural exchanges and collisions in different periods and different regions, tolerance and mutual learning. The "flying" fairies, like the sable cicada and Sai Xi Shi, the plump such as Yang Guifei, the handsome like Wang Zhaojun, the style is exquisite, and it is unique. Famous images such as 'nine-colored deer', 'sacrificial feeding tiger', 'robbers becoming Buddhas', 'rebound pipa', 'neon feathers' formed by kiln transformation can be found in The impression of Dunhuang can be found in wonderful presentations. It is as if to make people return to the Tang Dynasty, to compose poems with Taibai and to talk about wine; Guan Wangwei 'sits alone in the fence, plays the piano and whistles for a long time'. On the ancient Silk Road, look at the desert and smoke, go out to border plugs, and defend the country. Those simple and elegant color changes, reflecting each other, each glowing, colorful, can be called a great beauty! ”
At the end of this unusual interview, a technical word flashed in my mind — a new concept. "Dunhuang impression" should be a cultural phenomenon, this new concept of jun porcelain glaze makes jun porcelain art and Dunhuang murals gathered, two historical and cultural monuments, with its unique charm of transcending time and space and integrating ancient and modern, let the world know the mind and unremitting exploration of jun porcelain people, and deeply feel the great integration, creativity and vitality of the Chinese nation.
Jun porcelain is like jade like ice, the colors are gorgeous, the classic norms, revealing a kind of brilliance and gorgeousness, leading the five famous kilns. The passage and exchange of Tang Dynasty murals and modern jun porcelain art has created the "Dunhuang Impression" tea ware and also enlightened our infinite reverie of traditional Chinese culture. The Tang people's unique "life must be full of joy" thinking is not to teach the world to live in peace and self-preservation. Rather, it inspires people to enjoy prosperity and blossom into life. The same is true of the history of the kiln! If life is compared to a flower, the millennium jun porcelain will help the flower to bloom at full strength and live to the limit!
Keeping right and innovating, forge ahead. Zhai Qun practices the extraordinary pursuit and dream of Jun Porcelain people with ordinary footprints.
"Dunhuang Impression", praise for you!
December 28, 2021
Source: A Liu Yue Tea Jun