What little-known secrets lie behind Jingdezhen's thousand-year porcelain?

The world-renowned Jingdezhen kiln is one of the six great kiln systems of the Song Dynasty and one of China's hand-painted porcelain craftsmanship traditions. For hundreds of years it was the designated porcelain supply site for emperors of the imperial court, so the craftsmen of Jingdezhen's official kilns demanded perfection and dared not slacken or make the slightest oversight.

Premium kaolin raw material

Jingdezhen kaolin, as one of the finest clay materials, combined with the handcrafted firing techniques of the official kiln craftsmen, and a bisque body fired at a high temperature of 1300°, is a standard that most imitations cannot reach. Today's popular hand-painted porcelain and porcelain paintings are all completed stroke by stroke by the craftsmen, something stickers and machine-made pieces simply cannot compare with.

Apprenticed under one of the founders of the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" - Wang Xiliang

Wang Xiliang, whose ancestral home is Yi County, Anhui Province, was born in Jingdezhen in February 1922. He is a Chinese Arts and Crafts Master and a Chinese Ceramic Art Master. His family was poor in his childhood, and at the age of 12 he dropped out of school to learn porcelain painting under his uncle Wang Dafan (one of the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" and a famous Jingdezhen ceramic art master). In 1952 he entered the Jingdezhen Art Cooperative, and 2 years later transferred to the Jingdezhen Crafts Cooperative, then entered the Ceramic Industry Science Research Institute of the Ministry of Light Industry, engaging in ceramic art creation and research. In 1959 Wang Xiliang was among the first group awarded the title of "Ceramic Artist" by the Jingdezhen Municipal People's Government, and in 1979 he was awarded the title of "Chinese Arts and Crafts Master" by the Ministry of Light Industry, the first person in Jingdezhen to receive this honor. In 1987 he was assessed and granted the title of Senior Arts and Crafts Artist, in 2010 he was included in the artist database of Da Ci Wang & Da Tao Wang as a famous ceramic artist, and in 1992 he enjoyed the "Special Government Allowance" issued by the State Council. He is a member of the Chinese Artists Association and the president of the Jingdezhen Painting and Calligraphy Academy.

Fourth-generation inheritor of a Jingdezhen porcelain family - Shopkeeper Wang

Shopkeeper Wang, whose real name is Wang Jing, apprenticed under his grandfather Wang Xiliang. He is the fourth-generation inheritor of Wang Dafan, one of the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" in Jingdezhen, and has focused on porcelain making for more than twenty years. Because he uses the finest raw materials from Jingdezhen and insists on purely handcrafted porcelain, people in the trade respectfully call me Shopkeeper Wang. There is a small shop in Jingdezhen, with a small number of fine porcelain pieces left for those with the affinity to find them.

When I was a child learning to make porcelain with my grandfather, the phrase I heard most was

“Make porcelain with conscience, live life with integrity.”

Too much mold-made and machine-made porcelain floods the Jingdezhen market, and collectors pay high prices yet cannot buy truly exquisite handcrafted painted porcelain art. This goes against the original aspiration of us handcrafted porcelain makers.

Insist: only make genuine Jingdezhen porcelain

Insist: traditional handcraft techniques

Some works by the craftsmen at Shopkeeper Wang's studio

Wang Jing wants to help friends everywhere find purely handmade porcelain, avoid being cheated, let friends obtain authentic porcelain at the lowest price, and also give the family's porcelain-making craft a better inheritance!

1: How to distinguish purely handmade from machine-made porcelain

2: The latest porcelain works shared at the first opportunity

3: One-on-one porcelain selection and care guidance

Because of love, we understand porcelain better and respect porcelain more. We want to give Jingdezhen porcelain more soul, and insist on making porcelain in the most traditional handmade way. Grandfather always taught us: painting, this kind of craft, is done with heart, not at whim. Diligence brings mastery; even if you sit for months on end, making one finished piece you are fully satisfied with is worth it!

As one of the oldest inherited crafts, Jingdezhen porcelain making has now become a calling card facing the world, and many collector friends recognize craftsmanship, so if it is handmade, it greatly adds value.

While learning hand-painted porcelain making, I devoted myself to studying porcelain painting and appreciation, and explored the historical and cultural origins of porcelain. Through long-term professional training, I gradually formed my own porcelain-making style!

Some works by Shopkeeper Wang and the craftsmen, invited for your appreciation

Porcelain

In our trade,

clay is of the utmost importance;

Those in the know first "ask about the clay,"

only the finest clay

can produce the finest porcelain!

Porcelain is a culture, an inheritance. Only by throwing yourself wholeheartedly into this great cause can you make porcelain truly worth savoring and collecting!

Shopkeeper Wang promises he will never let down your choice

(Porcelain making process)

National certificates

All of Shopkeeper Wang's works are hand-painted, with no decals and no machine assistance; each is a heartfelt piece done stroke by stroke. Renowned craftsmen who share Shopkeeper Wang's aspirations have all joined Shopkeeper Wang here! In addition, the works produced by me and the craftsmen each come with a collection certificate, and every collection certificate bears the author's handwritten signature and seal, guaranteed authentic forever!

(Emerald Green Ripples on Lotus)

The signed teacher's 2010 work "Emerald Green Ripples on Lotus" was collected at a high price by a renowned collector

(The Charm of Brown Depth)

The signed teacher's 2015 work "The Charm of Brown Depth" received widespread attention in the industry

(Three Treasures of Celadon)

The signed teacher's work this year, "Three Treasures of Celadon" blue-and-white porcelain

Speaking through our works and making porcelain with conscience, I and the signed craftsmen have received widespread attention in the industry. Many collector friends have contacted me one after another to collect my works, and this has also taken a solid step forward for the development of handcrafted porcelain making.

Listen to Shopkeeper Wang's heartfelt words

Why choose Shopkeeper Wang

1: I have been engaged in Jingdezhen handcrafted porcelain making for more than thirty years

2: I only sell genuine handcrafted Jingdezhen porcelain, and will absolutely never pass off other wares as inferior substitutes

3: High cost-effectiveness; my works cover as many as several hundred kinds of subjects, from the makers to the collectors, eliminating middlemen, letting friends obtain authentic porcelain at the lowest price

4: My friend circle posts some fine pieces, flash sales, and bargain finds, hand-painted porcelain knowledge, creation photos, and so on, letting you connect with me up close

5: The number of people who can be added to my personal account is limited, and it is now nearly full, and many people add me every day, so I have to promptly remove some people. So friends who are genuinely interested in learning about hand-painted Jingdezhen porcelain and still have room should add me as soon as possible!

In porcelain making, technique is the lowest, method is the middle, and artistic conception is the highest. If you do not pour your heart and soul into it and only think about how to show off your skill, then it will surely be rigid. In the last dozen years or so, I can say I have returned to the path of creation. The more time I spend with it, the more I feel that before this porcelain I am like a primary school student just starting out. Though uneasy, I live steadily, and every signature lives up to every piece.

* We will announce the latest finished porcelain pieces on WeChat;

* To put your mind at ease,

* before shipping we can show you photos first on WeChat;

* Follow us in time, and share the charm of porcelain art together on WeChat;

* Photos are taken as-is, with no added lighting and no processing;

Warm reminders