Tea Cup Longquan Celadon - Wrath of the Lion

The city of Longquan in China's coastal Zhejian province is famous for its Seladong pottery and the traditional firing technology that gives it its distinctive green glaze. A glaze composed of purple-gold clay and a mixture of burnt feldspar, limestone, quartz and vegetable ash. It is prepared according to recipes that have often been handed down in families for many generations. The glaze is applied to the fired stoneware vessel, which is then fired again in a repeated cycle. It is a minimum of six stages of heating and cooling, where the exact temperature matters - high or insufficient temperature will completely spoil the final effect.

Experienced Seladon artists carefully check each stage with a thermometer and by observing the colour of the flame, which reaches temperatures of up to around 1310º C. The final product can come in one of two styles: the "older brother" seladon has a crackled finish, while the "younger brother" has a dense, lavender-grey and green hue. With a basic jade green color, the seladon fired by the family-owned Longquan businesses is prized as master-quality art that can also serve as a home jewel. Longquan Celadon is a proud symbol of the cultural heritage of the artisans, their city, and the Chinese nation.