In Search of the Lost Tenmoku
With over 10 centuries of history and listed among the national treasures of Japan and China, Tenmoku art was born in a mountainous region in the hinterland of China: Fujian. In this article, let's discover this birthplace of the mythical Tenmoku art.
The Dragon Oven, birthplace of Tenmoku art
In 1935, Asian art expert Professor James Marshall Plumer discovered an ancient Dragon Kiln site at Shuiji in Fujian, China. He was able to extract many previously unknown pieces of stoneware cups from the period, called "Jian", dating to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).
This site is recognized as the first and largest historical kiln of "Jian" cups. These ceramic masterpieces also have another name: Tenmoku, named by Japanese monks who take this name from the temple of Tianmu Mountain, 400 km from the Shuiji site.
The name "dragon" associated with the kiln is probably given because of its particular shape: long and narrow, settling on a steep slope of the mountain, like a dragon resting on the hill. This type of kiln allows to reach very high temperatures, which can go above 1200°C, the temperature necessary to fire non-porous ceramics such as stoneware and porcelain. Such conditions remained unattainable for a long time for European potters.
The remains of the Dragon Kiln in Shuiji, Fujian, China.
Handicraft reproduction difficult to implement
In 1960, the site was the subject of a planned excavation by archaeologists from the Xiamen Anthropological Museum. Thousands of cups and other ceramic objects were discovered. The cups all share a common feature: the use of local earth as a raw material, giving them a dark color, with a characteristic black glaze as well.
A Jian (Tenmoku) cup discovered in the Dragon Kiln at Shuiji, dating from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).
In addition, scientists have made a surprising discovery: some cups have natural reactive patterns resulting from the chemical reaction during firing, which correspond to the "Tenmoku" cups preserved by Japanese shoguns and monks, as well as some Chinese collectors.
After several excavations, starting in the 1980s, some expert ceramic artisans began looking for a method to reproduce these cups. The task turned out to be much more difficult than expected:
- The exact composition of the material was unknown, therefore the cups produced had a high probability of cracking or warping during firing.
- The composition of the glaze is certainly the most mysterious: by mixing different earths and ash (a material allowing to reduce the temperature of the melting point of the glaze), we obtain different behaviors of the glaze which remains very unstable from one firing to another.
- The specifics of the kiln structure and the atmosphere it produces are decisive elements during firing. The flow of oxygen, the atmospheric pressure of the kiln and the homogeneity of the temperature are factors that influence the chemical reactions, and therefore the patterns that appear on the cups.
Several factors influence the success rate of firing cups, which remains very low compared to other types of porcelain.
The Tenmo team is honored to be able to work with the best artisans who are experts in "Jian" (Tenmoku) cups.
Years of research went into finding the right stoneware composition, glaze recipes and ideal kiln conditions, allowing these artisans to reproduce this golden age of Chinese ceramics.