Fa Cui Wan Fu Seal Box

The preparation of the peacock blue glaze is personally made by Tu Jinghua, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage.

Peacock blue glaze (Facui) is a beautiful colored glaze. Its name is based on peacock feathers; glazes with a greenish tint are called peacock green, and those with a bluish tint are called peacock blue. It is also known as "peacock blue," "peacock green," "jade glaze," "Facui," "Facui," and "Jicui glaze," among other names. Peacock blue glaze uses copper as a colorant and is a low-temperature glaze that produces a bright blue hue after firing. The glaze color is generally not very uniform, and upon close inspection, fine crackles are visible. Tu Jinghua, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Facui glaze formulation, calls the pattern "fish roe pattern." Localized areas of accumulated glaze resemble the deep, mysterious ocean, making them intriguing.

Tu Jinghua, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of glaze preparation, explained that due to the traditional "pouring glaze" technique, the natural fluidity of the glaze creates a texture that is thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom on the porcelain body. The colored glazes Tu Jinghua uses are all hand-prepared. Because the techniques for handmade products cannot be exactly the same, each firing produces a different effect, making each piece unique.

The first important characteristic of peacock green glaze is its bright and vibrant blue color, extremely rare in ancient Chinese ceramic glazes. The second important characteristic is its clear glaze layer, with very few bubbles, crystals, and unmelted glaze material. The third important characteristic is the dense, fine crackle pattern on the glaze surface, resembling fish roe, which is very distinctive. Throughout its history, Tu Jinghua's peacock green glaze pieces have been highly sought after by collectors. His works are exquisitely crafted, with beautiful glaze colors and an overall bright and vibrant blue luster, possessing a classical elegance. Because the production process of peacock green glaze is quite complex, it requires a shaped bisque or a pre-painted blank, which is fired at a high temperature. Then, the peacock green glaze is applied to the fired porcelain, followed by a medium-temperature firing. Due to the extreme difficulty of firing and the limited production volume, it is extremely precious.

Ancient porcelain-making techniques are like shining pearls in the history of civilization. Due to various reasons, they have sunk into the long river of history. We need to rediscover the simple raw materials used by our ancestors, study their original techniques, wipe away the dust, and restore the brilliance of these pearls to appreciate the wisdom of our forefathers. Tu Jinghua is one of these inheritors of these techniques, and he is practicing them personally. The formulation of glazes is very mysterious to people. Because most people lack hands-on experience or related theoretical knowledge, even those who have been collecting and researching ancient ceramics for a long time may still feel unfamiliar with this field. We cannot always limit ourselves to understanding the surface crackles, colors, and glaze shrinkage points of the objects; the most important thing is to rediscover the lost traditional techniques and make the Fa Cui glaze porcelain no longer seem so mysterious.

Born in 1969 into a ceramic family in Jingdezhen, Tu Jinghua is a representative inheritor of the Jingdezhen intangible cultural heritage—the preparation of Fa Cui glaze. He is also the only inheritor in Jingdezhen who has mastered the preparation, coloring, and firing techniques of medium-temperature Fa Cui glaze.

He began learning the craft from his father in 1987; in January 1989, he joined the Jingdezhen Sculpture Porcelain Factory; in 1996, the company underwent restructuring, and he independently established a ceramic studio specializing in medium-temperature jade glaze decoration materials, which he still runs today.

Apprenticeship: Grandfather Tu Yixin, a late ceramic glaze blending craftsman in Jingdezhen during the Republic of China era (later joined the Ceramic Research Institute of the Ministry of Light Industry);
Apprenticeship: Tu Jincai, father, a veteran craftsman at the Jingdezhen Sculpture Porcelain Factory;

Features:
1) It is made by hand-pouring glaze and adding colors directly onto the unglazed porcelain body and then firing it;
2) The glaze and body are tightly bonded, and the glaze contains fine crackles resembling fish roe.
3) The glaze is bright, thick, warm, elegant and clean, with a strong glassy texture, giving people a pleasing feeling.

Mid-temperature glaze decoration is mainly used for traditional porcelain. In recent years, while working on decorating traditional porcelain with mid-temperature glaze, Tu Jinghua has also been committed to promoting the combination of glaze and modern art porcelain, so that more people can understand glaze.

In 2014, the artwork "Chang'e Flying to the Moon" by Liu Yuanchang, a master of Chinese arts and crafts, was decorated. In the same year, it was also decorated with "The Dawn Ceremony" by Chen Peihuo, an inheritor of provincial intangible cultural heritage. The decorative effect of the colored glazes in the artworks received high praise and recognition from experts.

They also participated in the recording of the large-scale documentary "Craftsmanship in Pottery" about the 72 porcelain-making processes in Jingdezhen, which enabled more people to recognize and understand the medium-temperature jade glaze.