Jian zhan tenmoku
Jian zhan is the black tea bowl of Song China, known in Japan as tenmoku.
Read a Jian bowl rim to foot
The rim
Glaze thins as it runs down, so the lip often shows a rusty brown band. That is the iron showing through.
The inside
Iron in the glaze gathers in the fire into hare's fur streaks or oil spots. No two bowls come out alike.
The foot
Glaze stops short of the foot, often in a thick drip. The bare clay below is dark, dense and heavy.
Black, so the white foam could shine.
What to look for
Jian zhan tenmoku
Hand-picked pieces are on the way.
Good to know
What is a jian zhan tenmoku tea bowl?
It is a black-glazed tea bowl first made at Jianyang, Fujian, in the Song dynasty. The iron-heavy glaze forms streaks and spots in the fire.
Why are Jian bowls black?
Song drinkers whisked powdered tea into a white foam, and a black bowl showed it best. Tea contests were judged on that foam.
Is tenmoku Chinese or Japanese?
The bowls are Chinese. Japanese monks are said to have brought them home from temples on Mount Tianmu, in Zhejiang, and tenmoku is the Japanese reading of that name. Japan later made its own.
