Cloud Break Moon Clear Mino-yaki Shallow Dish by Ceramicist Liang Shi-chang, presented in a bespoke brocade box with a gift bag.

The milky crackle glaze resembles the sky breaking open, its color like the world after snow. This Mino-yaki shallow dish, crafted using ancient techniques from the Momoyama period, has been forged into a unique form through the kiln's fire. The milky white glaze is covered in fine crackles, like ice breaking on a cold river or the moon emerging from behind clouds. The greyish-blue glaze naturally diffuses, appearing like distant mountains veiled in mist and soft rain. The wavy texture at the rim, formed by intense heat, is warm to the touch, as if one can feel the artisan's fingertips. The layered patterns on the inner wall are reminiscent of the raked sand in a dry landscape garden, serene and Zen-like. Its shallow depth of three centimeters is perfectly suited as a vessel for tea ceremonies, or for holding fruits, incense burners, or as an elegant adornment for a desk. Placing a small stone or a few pinecones transforms it into a refined landscape; adding water to nurture moss or floating a flower creates a charming scene. Mino-yaki is renowned for its unpredictable kiln transformations, making each piece one-of-a-kind. This serendipity of fire and earth, much like life's encounters, is rare and precious. Holding and admiring it is like conversing with time and communing with ancient spirits. **About the Artist** Master ceramicist Liang Shi-chang was born in Tainan in 1957. At the age of 26, he apprenticed under master potter Weng Guo-zhen of Yingge, learning the art of the potter's wheel, thus entering the world of ceramics. He has since held numerous exhibitions. His research into glazes is deep and comprehensive, and he skillfully applies this knowledge, consistently pushing the boundaries of his expressive glazes to create breathtaking works. In 1999, feeling creatively stagnant and uncertain about his artistic path, Liang Shi-chang resolutely abandoned his craft to delve into jade appraisal. It wasn't until 2021 that he decided to return to ceramic creation. He spent two years familiarizing himself with glazes, producing hundreds of samples in pursuit of a distinct style. Liang Shi-chang's current works primarily feature glazed paintings. Drawing inspiration from nature, he adheres to a principle of using no more than two glazes, combining artistic and ceramic glazes. When creating, he first selects glazes that can express the theme, then utilizes their properties—thickness, layering, isolation, carving, marbling, or diffusion—to depict the envisioned scenery. He adds simple brushstrokes in appropriate places to enhance the artwork's mood before firing the finished piece. In addition to glazes, materials for painting include the cracking textures of the clay body, marbled patterns, as well as natural elements like leaves or stones. Regarding his return to ceramics, Liang Shi-chang finds inspiration in nature and expresses artistic concepts through glazes and clay bodies. Ideas emerge like bamboo shoots after rain. "Being able to convey artistic concepts using my proficient ceramic techniques, glaze knowledge, and painting skills brings me immense joy and satisfaction. I hope this new beginning will establish my own unique ceramic style."