Zodiac Cup - Pig

Some deep feelings seem inadequate even with the most eloquent words.
Some gratitude is beyond the power of even the tightest hug.
If love could be seen
It's a cup of heartfelt sentiment.
It is a lifelong deep affection.

Thin-walled porcelain teacups made by inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.
May your zodiac sign and auspicious words be engraved above with heartfelt affection.
To convey emotions through objects.

The zodiac animal illustrations were personally painted by Zhang Jian, a master of overglaze enamel and gold-leaf technique from Jingdezhen.
Cup making: Made by Xiong Guoan, a national-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of thin-walled porcelain.

Zhang Jian is a master of porcelain painting in Jingdezhen. He once painted a "Longevity and Fortune Dragon Vase" on behalf of Jingdezhen to celebrate President Hu Jintao's birthday.

Xiong Guoan is the son of Xiong Yougen, known as "Brother Xiong" and the "King of Thin-Layer Tiles". He is also known as "Second Brother Xiong" in the underworld. He was a child laborer specializing in thin-layer tires.
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 craft cannot be learned after the age of 18. Once a person reaches adulthood, their mind is no longer at peace; a restless mind leads to restless ears, and restless ears cannot hear the echo of the sharp carving knife on the thin clay body, thus preventing the creation of thin-walled pottery. Truly thin-walled pottery can only be seen, not touched. Yet, with his rough, large hands, Xiong Lao Er presents you with such exquisite objects, as thin as paper, as white as jade, and with a sound like a chime!

Zhang Jian, a master of overglaze enamel and gold-leaf technique in Jingdezhen

A master porcelain painter from Jingdezhen, he once painted a "Longevity and Fortune Dragon Vase" on behalf of Jingdezhen to celebrate President Hu Jintao's birthday.

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 looked at, not touched.

And Xiong Lao Er's rough, large hands present such a delicate object, as thin as paper, as white as jade, and as melodious as a chime, to you!

The thinner the clay is cut, the more crucial it becomes, as it could ruin everything. Back then, the only way to judge the thickness was by listening to the echo made by the cutting knife on the thin clay!
Mastering the clay model depends entirely on the harmony of the craftsman's heart, ears, and hands.

A soul that can endure loneliness

White as jade, thin as paper, resonant as a chime, unglazed.
Any impurities inside will show through when exposed to light.
During the shaping process, the cup walls are extremely thin.
The clay blanks are so delicate that they can be easily broken, which increases the difficulty.
Using an unglazed process,
Because it cannot be glazed but needs to be oily and smooth.
To me, porcelain is a mysterious substance imbued with a soul.
The finest kaolin is forged in a furnace at 1300 degrees Celsius.
Make it soft and deformable like jelly.
Such objects have an extremely low yield rate.
It is a kind of fate that it came into your hands.
Upon seeing this finished lotus seed cup, Xiong Lao Er, a descendant of a family specializing in thin-walled porcelain in Jingdezhen, exclaimed in admiration:
The entire process of making each cup reflects the craftsman's dedication and hard work.
They have honed their unique souls, which are capable of enduring loneliness.

Things that are slow are exquisite.
Just like porcelain.