Porcelain, Traditional Jian Zhan

In Jianyang, Fujian, broken Jian Zhan shards from the Song dynasty are buried all around. Brand founder Xiao Jieming grew up here, and since childhood he was fascinated by this ceramic: black like ink jade, with shining metallic patterns. After saving some money in the 2000s, he returned home and began reviving a craft that had disappeared into history. China officially began a plan to restore Jian Zhan in the 1970s, but at that time very few people were willing to share their results, and the techniques were still limited. In this setting, Xiao Jieming traveled across Fujian and Jiangxi to learn and experiment. It took him five years to go from knowing nothing to finding clay that could be fired into shape. His most important teachers were still the old shards sleeping in the local earth. He and his wife used a microscope to compare the crystals on them. For ten years, day and night, he personally chose the clay, made the glaze, shaped the bowl, and fired it. Finally, in 2015, he recreated Jian Zhan that matched the look of Song official-kiln Jian Zhan. After that, he went even deeper, constantly searching for new possibilities for Jian Zhan while keeping the Song-style beauty and traditional materials. This shop’s specialty is using only pure natural local materials, with no industrially refined minerals added. It uses advanced skill to push the simple, ancient Song-style look to its limit. It is also eco-friendly and resource-saving, recycling failed fired pieces as raw materials for reuse.