Jian ware

Jian ware or Chien ware (Chinese: 建窯; pinyin: Jiàn yáo; Wade–Giles: Chien-yao) is a type of Chinese pottery originally made in Jianyang, Fujian province. It is known in Japan as Tenmoku (天目). The wares are simple shapes in stoneware, with a strong emphasis on subtle effects in the glazes. In the Song dynasty they achieved a high prestige, especially among Buddhist monks and in relation to tea-drinking. They were also highly valued in Japan, where many of the best examples were collected. Though the ceramic body is light-coloured, the wares, generally small cups for tea, bowls and vases, normally are glazed in dark colours, with special effects such as the "hare's fur" "oil-spot" and "partridge feather" patterns caused randomly as excess iron in the glaze is forced out during firing.

In Chinese it is called Jian zhan (建盏), which translates as "Jian (tea)cup". The original kiln was called Jian Yao (建窑). The original prefecture where it came from was then renamed into Jianzhou (建州) in 621 CE during the Tang dynasty. The ware therefore became also known based on its origin as Jianzhou zhan (建州盏).

The Song dynasty scholar and Fujian native Cai Xiang (1012–1067) noted in his "The Record of Tea":

At the time, tea was prepared by whisking powdered leaves that had been pressed into dried cakes together with hot water, which was somewhat akin to matcha in the Japanese tea ceremony. The water added to this powder produced a white froth that would stand out better against a dark bowl. Jian ware reached the peak of its popularity during the Song dynasty. Vessels of this time were also greatly appreciated and copied in Japan, where they are known as tenmoku (天目) wares. The Japanese term derives from Tianmu Mountain (天目山), where this type of vessel was supposed to originate from and be appreciated. Five of these vessels that originate during the southern Song dynasty are so highly valued that they were included by the government in the list of National Treasures of Japan (crafts: others).

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