Inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Jingdezhen traditional thin-bodied porcelain making technique

Xiong Guoan

Xiong Lao Er's Childhood Kung Fu

Xiong Guoan, son of Xiong Yougen, the "King of Thin-Layer Tires"
He was known in the underworld as "Brother Xiong".

A national-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of thin-bodied porcelain.

Because the thin-walled blank-making technique requires a calm mind, unlike most other crafts, it requires early training. Xiong Yougen started as an apprentice at the age of 8, and Xiong Guoan was a 12-year-old child laborer specially approved by the state!
This skill cannot be learned after the age of 18. Once a person reaches adulthood, their mind is no longer at peace. If the mind is not at peace, the ears will not be at peace either. If the ears are not at peace, one cannot hear the echo of the sharp knife on the thin clay body and thus cannot make thin-walled clay.

Truly thin tires can only be seen, not touched.
And Xiong Lao Er's two rough, large hands
So thin as paper, so white as jade,
Exquisite objects with a resonant sound like chimes are presented before you!

The thinner the billet, the more crucial it is; otherwise, all previous efforts could be wasted.

How to master the clay model in your hand
It all depends on the craftsman's sense of hearing, touch, and heart.
The sound of the cutting tool echoing on the thin clay body is used to guide the feel of the work!

Most people have probably never witnessed the actual process of making thin-walled porcelain. Xiong Guoan only works at midnight. When it's late at night and all is quiet, he uses a long, upright carving knife, one end against his ear and the other against the clay body.

When the thickness is greater than 0.5 millimeters, he can judge the thickness of the porcelain by tapping it with his hand.
Imagine mud that's thinner than 0.5 millimeters, as thin as a cicada's wing, so delicate it could break at any moment!
At this point, one can only rely on listening! A master craftsman would use the water flow marks on the cup wall to judge the thickness of the porcelain; if the lines are even, then it is considered to have a thin body.

Once inside the kiln, at a high temperature of 1300 degrees Celsius, the clay trembles like jelly, resulting in an extremely low yield!

Regardless of cost or time, the skill of combining heart and hand is becoming increasingly difficult to pass on, so it is not surprising that thin-walled works are worth millions at international auctions.