A leaf falling into water changes its taste, and thus becomes Tea.

A leaf falling into a Cup changes its appearance, and thus becomes a more beautiful cup.

01

Over 1200 years ago, a leaf accidentally fell inside the Jizhou kiln. Instead of being reduced to ashes, it was preserved on the Pottery through high-temperature firing, creating the first wooden-leaf-patterned bowl in the world.

This coincidentally created wooden-leaf-patterned bowl is among the finest from the Song Dynasty's Jizhou kilns. The black-glazed bowls with wooden-leaf patterns from the Jizhou kiln are famous Chinese ceramics. Located in Yonghe Town, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province, the kiln was named after the region known as Jizhou in ancient times. It is also called the Yonghe Kiln due to its location in Yonghe Town.

▲ When tea is poured, the leaf looks like it's floating in the water.

The black-glazed items fired in the Jizhou kiln are called black porcelain. In Japan, Chinese black porcelain is also referred to as “Tenmoku,” so the wooden-leaf-patterned bowls are also called wooden-leaf Tenmoku bowls.

At this point, are you as curious as Xiao Yue is:

How do they create such exquisite wooden-leaf Tenmoku bowls?

The process of making a wooden-leaf Tenmoku bowl is relatively simple: apply a layer of black glaze to the prepared body, apply a light glaze to a specially treated leaf, then stick the leaf onto the black porcelain body and fire it in the kiln.

Is there any particular consideration for the leaves used?

Yes! Generally, mulberry leaves are used.

Why mulberry leaves? According to Zen teachings, “mulberry leaves can convey Zen,” but this isn't the only reason. The ash content of the leaves is also considered. If the composition is incorrect or insufficient, the golden and vibrant color cannot be achieved during firing.

Therefore, artisans choose mulberry leaves from trees that are decades old and have complete leaf shapes. Before firing, these leaves are carefully placed in the desired position.

Then, it's just a matter of waiting for the kiln to finish.

The firing process has many uncertainties. The key to successful firing is ensuring the leaf's veins remain intact on the wall of the bowl before it disappears completely.

Even slight deviations can cause the leaf to disintegrate into ashes or curl up into a smudge at the bottom of the cup.

It is precisely because of these uncontrollable factors during firing that this technique disappeared during the Yuan Dynasty. It wasn't until the 1980s, over 700 years later, that it was successfully revived.

However, the current success rate is still extremely low, hence, they are very precious! If you find one you like, consider purchasing it despite the cost.

Over 1200 years ago, a clear breeze blew a mulberry leaf into a bowl.

Now, this Zen-inspired breeze has entered the hearts of tea enthusiasts, relieving them of the summer heat and annoyance.

If there are any copyright issues, please contact us to remove the content.