概要
Zhuang Land Tour Nixing Pottery Tea Set, Qinzhou
It won the Gold Medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Featuring elegant shapes and exquisite carved paintings, it fully embodies the essence of oriental ceramic art aesthetics and the unique customs of the Zhuang villages.
Brand Origin: China’s Four Famous Pottery Wares
Qinzhou Nixing Pottery ranks among China’s Four Famous Pottery Wares. Originating in the Tang Dynasty and flourishing in the late Qing Dynasty, it carries forward a thousand-year Lingnan pottery-making heritage. Boasting fine clay texture and elegant antique hues, it is a highly representative artistic treasure of Lingnan culture, embodying profound historical deposits and the spirit of craftsmanship.
National Intangible Cultural Heritage
In 2008, the firing craft of Nixing Pottery was officially inscribed on the Second Batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, serving as a precious cultural treasure and inheritable craft of the Chinese nation.
National Geographical Indication Protected Product
It was certified as a National Geographical Indication Protected Product in 2008. Stringent standards govern everything from the exclusive clay sourced along the banks of the Qinjiang River to traditional firing techniques, guaranteeing its authenticity and uniqueness.
Raw Clay Origin: Twin Clays of the Qinjiang River
The soul of Qinzhou Nixing Pottery lies in the unique clay found on both banks of the Qinjiang River. As an old craft saying goes, "Eastern clay forms the flesh, western clay the bone." Blended in a secret inherited ratio, the two clays create its mild, unadorned natural tone.
Dongni · For Meat
Flexible and delicate, rich in beneficial minerals including iron, zinc, calcium and strontium. It lends wares a mellow texture and lays a solid foundation for varied kiln transformations, serving as the vital flesh that shapes vivid ceramic forms.
Xini · For Bone
Solid, steady and compact in structure. Like bones supporting the framework of wares, it ensures stability during forming and firing, rendering ceramic shapes taller, straighter and more durable.
Unstained and natural, embodying supreme elegance.
No glaze or pigment is applied; only the natural ingredients of the two types of clay create marvelous kiln transformations under firing heat. This purity is not merely a guarantee of Nixing Pottery’s quality, but also the source of its unique aesthetic charm.
“Clay born of heaven and earth, wares forged by craftsmen.” From delicate clay kneading to vivid wheel-throwing, from exquisite carving to blazing kiln fire, every procedure demands complete concentration. Only then can clay settle through time, undergo rebirth amid intense heat, and transform into tangible works of art.
Ancient Craftsmanship: Unique Ingenuity
Every piece of Nixing Pottery embodies craftsmen’s dedication and wisdom, crafted following time-honored ancient techniques passed down for thousands of years. Every procedure, from clay selection to high-temperature firing, is meticulously executed, yielding a jade-like smooth texture and distinctive artistic allure.
01 Clay Selection & Clay Kneading
Select unique pottery clay native to both banks of the Qin River. Through weathering, crushing, washing and repeated kneading, impurities are removed to render the clay as smooth and pliable as cream, laying a gentle foundation for shaping the pottery.
02 Hand-Throwing
On the fast-spinning pottery wheel, craftsmen manipulate force and rhythm with bare hands to shape the clay. This core process breathes the initial life and unique silhouette into each ware.
03 Trimming and Decoration
Once the clay body is semi-dry, craftsmen create art using carving knives as brushes. Adopting techniques such as incising, scoring, sculpting and chiseling, they integrate flowers, birds, landscapes and poems onto the pottery surface, endowing each piece with profound cultural heritage.
04 Air Drying and Firing
After the green bodies air-dry naturally, they are sent into an ancient dragon kiln for firing at a high temperature of 1200°C. As fire and earth fuse, the wares undergo a profound transformation, developing unique kiln-transformation hues and an unrefined, antique charm.
Exquisite Carving Craftsmanship: The Aesthetics of Nixing Pottery Engraving
Carving on Nixing Pottery represents the artistic sublimation of clay and fire. Craftsmen use carving knives as brushes to sketch lines and carve textures on smooth, mild clay blanks. Ranging from delicate shallow relief carvings to elegant intaglio engravings, each technique endows the ware with distinctive vitality, achieving a perfect integration of practical utility and aesthetic beauty.
Hundreds of crafts, thousands of skills; every cut bears exquisite workmanship.
It integrates diverse techniques including carving, scoring, sculpting and chiselling. Three-dimensional reliefs interweave with intaglio and relief engravings, creating multi-layered patterns that display vivid texture and rhythmic beauty under light and shadow.
Boundless artistic conception, each piece a poetic painting.
Themes cover flowers, birds, fish, insects, landscapes, human scenes, poems and literary allusions. Designs range from delicate and elegant to grand and imposing, embodying the poetic charm and philosophical thoughts of oriental aesthetics on pottery.
Taking pottery as paper to carry cultural heritage.
Carving is more than mere decoration; it serves as a carrier of culture. Infused with traditional folk customs, historical allusions and aesthetic tastes, each pottery piece turns into a storytelling work of art.
Custom-made exclusively, one of a kind.
Personalized engraving services are available for names, corporate logos, exclusive patterns and more to create your unique art collectibles, making them an exceptional gift choice for close friends and business exchanges.
Art of Fire: Natural Kiln Transformation
01 / Naturally Formed Veins, Irreplicable
At a high kiln temperature of 1,200°C, metal oxides within the pottery clay undergo marvelous chemical reactions with the atmosphere inside the kiln, naturally rendering cloud-like streaks, radiant glow or bronze textures across the ware’s surface. This serendipitous interplay of fire and clay follows no fixed pattern and cannot be artificially controlled or duplicated.
02 / Uniform hue before firing, myriad colors after kilning
No two kiln-transformed Nixing Pottery pieces in the world are identical. Every texture bears a unique natural mark, resembling scattered sparks or splashed ink landscapes. Each work thus possesses the artistic soul and collectible value of a one-of-a-kind treasure, vividly embodying the reverence for natural craftsmanship inherent in Eastern aesthetics.
Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance: National Treasure
The firing craft of Qinzhou Nixing Pottery, a treasure of Lingnan culture, is renowned worldwide for its exclusive clay formula, miraculous kiln transformation and exquisite carving art, ranking among China's Four Great Famous Potteries.
▍ National Intangible Cultural Heritage · Craftsmanship Archive
It was inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in June 2008 (No. Ⅷ-98). Its firing technique is intricate and refined. Dozens of elaborate procedures, from clay extraction and pugging to wheel-throwing, carving and kiln firing, are required to create the marvelous artistic effect of "one uniform shade going into the kiln, countless hues emerging from it".
▍ Passing Down the Torch · Grace of National Master Craftsmen
Li Renping: The first national inheritor of Nixing Pottery, hailed as the grand master of Nixing Pottery, who pioneered the aesthetic style of modern Nixing Pottery. Lu Jingping: A national inheritor of the fifth batch. He adheres to exquisite craftsmanship, devotes himself to the inheritance, popularization, innovation and development of the craft, breathing new vitality into the ancient pottery art.
Craftsman’s Masterpieces: Vessels Bearing Philosophical Wisdom
Nixing Pottery is far more than practical utensils; it is a work of art embodying Eastern aesthetics and cultural spirit. With its mellow texture and unique kiln transformations, it fully interprets the profound philosophy that "artisan vessels carry profound truths".
Hundreds of wares in thousands of forms, yet all return to pure authenticity.
Nixing Pottery boasts a full spectrum of shapes, ranging from daily tea sets and dining tableware to elegant study ornaments for desks and home decorations that adorn living spaces. Every piece is hand-thrown by master craftsmen, with fluid lines exuding timeless Eastern elegance. Seamlessly integrated into ordinary daily life while elevating spiritual taste, these wares serve as a bridge between practical functionality and artistic beauty.
The Beauty of Natural Kiln Transformation
The unique art of kiln fire creates gorgeous textures. Combined with exquisite relief and intaglio carving techniques, every piece becomes an irreplicable unique artwork.
Quality for maturing tea and softening water
The pottery clay is rich in natural mineral elements. Its body is breathable yet impermeable to water. Brewing tea with it softens the water and amplifies the tea’s aroma. The more it is used, the mellower it becomes, making it a beloved treasure among tea enthusiasts.
Treasure of Cultural Inheritance
It carries thousands of years of pottery culture and the regional characteristics of Qinzhou. Handcrafted works by master artists are rare in existence, boasting profound historical heritage as well as room for artistic appreciation and value appreciation, making them highly collectible.
A refined gift to convey sincere sentiments
Integrating practicality, aesthetics and culture as one, it fully reflects the giver’s taste and sincere wishes. It serves as an upscale gift of elegant charm ideal for business exchanges, festivals and birthday celebrations.