The Jing Xuan Chai Yao Workshop has been making fine ceramics in Jingdezhen City for over ten years. 25 skilled painters work on the pieces full time. A Kaolin clay with high purity and fine texture is used. The pieces are thrown on a wheel or molded, then allowed to dry partially. At which point they are painted by hand with a cobalt pigment. A layer of glaze is then applied.
The pieces are then fired at 1300 degrees celsius. It's during this process that the cobalt pigment reacts with the glaze and takes a vivid blue color. The porcelain lets light through and is very hard, it doesn't influence the taste of tea, just like glass.
These pieces won't make your tea taste better than cheap porcelain, but they are truly beautiful. The colors are vivid and the paintings are extremely detailed. The hand-painting means that each drawing is unique, you can see small differences in the scenes depicted. Like gemstones, these pieces are more beautiful in real life than in picture, you need to see them under natural light.
During your gongfu session, you can take a break and admire the scenes depicted on the teaware. They will take you to a natural landscape of high mountains and misty lakes.
