Gray Field Glaze Tea Bowl

🌿 Gray Glaze Refers to a glaze made with ash from burnt plants (such as wood ash, grass ash, straw ash, etc.) as the main ingredient or flux. Ancient people accidentally discovered a crystalline sheen on fired pottery. Vessels with this sheen were both waterproof and easy to clean. This sheen, formed by the falling ash from the fuel, was a natural glaze that formed on the earliest pottery. Ash glazes are generally divided into two categories: • Natural Ash Glaze: Formed by plant ash naturally falling onto the clay body during firing in a kiln fueled by plants or wood. After high-temperature fusion with the clay body, it creates a glazed surface that exhibits unpredictable flame marks and layered textures. Examples include "wood firing" glazes. • Synthetic/Formulated Ash Glaze: The artist collects plant ash, then sifts, grinds, and washes it. This ash is then artificially mixed with water, clay, or feldspar and applied to the clay body. After high-temperature firing, it produces a transparent glaze. Plant ashes are rich in mineral elements, which combine with quartz, feldspar, and other components in the ceramic body. Upon high-temperature melting, they form plant ash glaze. The glaze color is warm, understated, ancient, serene, and possesses a natural charm that ordinary mineral glazes cannot match. 🌕 Artwork | Gray Ash Glaze Tea Bowl | Item Number | B00003 ❤️ Title | A drop of green mark 🌿 Glaze's Realm | Without a sound, it fell; leaving a touch of green in time. 🌿 Glaze Appreciation | "The forest transforms into the cup, the clear spring speaks in the soup." This is more than just a tea bowl; it is the lingering warmth of life left by burnt plants. The fluidity and tiny crystals brought by the natural plant ash give the glaze a clear, flowing texture, as if capturing the essence of an entire forest within the cup. The blue glaze, like a silent drop, leaves its mark. ■ Item: Tea Bowl ■ Dimensions: Diameter 10 / Height 7 / Weight 575g (Unit: cm) ■ Craftsmanship: Hand-pinched / Gas Kiln / Gray Field Glaze 🔥 Tips for Selection ● Flat rim ● Compositional balance ● Glaze variations ● Comfortable grip 💧 Care Tips ■ Gentle scrubbing (avoid scratching) ■ Avoid using detergent if possible (to prevent lingering odors) ■ Air dry after use (to prevent dampness) 🪴 Shih Chi-Yao | Alchemist of Natural Glazes | Artist Introduction Teacher Shih Chi-Yao is a ceramic artist who perfectly blends scientific spirit with artistic sensitivity. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Waseda University in Japan, he returned to Taiwan and founded the "Shih Chi-Yao Feldspar Pottery Studio." He brought the rigorous logical thinking of law into ceramic art and has dedicated over two decades to glaze research. With a precision akin to a laboratory, he has accumulated over 8,000 glaze test pieces and experienced more than 300 kiln firings, earning him the title "Scientist of Glazes." His works are not merely displays of technique but rather embodiments of the natural vitality that arises from the fusion of natural plant ash and minerals, orchestrated with the kiln's fire. ▎ Key Experiences • Professional Background: * Graduate of the Faculty of Law, Waseda University, Japan. * Founder of Shih Chi-Yao Feldspar Pottery Studio. • Representative Exhibitions: * 2012 | "Glazed Robes: Shih Chi-Yao Feldspar Pottery Solo Exhibition" held in Taipei and Taichung. * 2019 | "Anatta: Shih Chi-Yao Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition" at the Fo Guang Yuan Art Museum. * International Exchange: Repeatedly invited to participate in the "Taiwan International Tea Bowl Festival" and various international craft exchange exhibitions. ▎ Creative Characteristics • The Natural Alchemy of Plant Ash Glazes: Teacher Shih excels at harnessing nature's gifts. He transforms the ashes of longan, lychee, pineapple wood, and straw through complex washing and grinding processes into special glazes, imbuing his works with deep, warm colors that are close to the earth. • Ultimate Feldspar Pottery Craftsmanship: Using "Shino-yaki" as his creative foundation, he has gradually developed his personal feldspar pottery style. He pursues a delicate balance between "human control" and "natural occurrence" in glaze colors, allowing each piece to display rich layers with variations in light and angle. • Classic Series Vocabulary: * 【Mystic Obsidian Series】: Deep, restrained, and mysterious feldspar-glazed pottery. * 【Falling Leaves Season】: Tea ware and art pieces where colors layer to express the natural rhythm of autumn leaves falling. • Extension from Practicality to Zen Aesthetics: His works range from exquisite daily tea ware to ceramic panel paintings and large-scale linear sculptures. In recent years, his creations have incorporated philosophical reflections on "Anatta" (non-self) and "Emptiness," presenting a natural aesthetic that embraces the marks of the flame and does not pursue absolute symmetry. ▎ Creative Philosophy "Ceramics is a lifelong practice of continuous dialogue with nature." Teacher Shih believes that every glaze formulation and every kiln experiment is a profound exchange with nature, earth, and fire. Through repeated experimentation, he allows minerals and plant ashes to reveal their original vitality in the flames, reflecting in his works the artist's genuine understanding of "control" versus "letting go." →⚠️ Purchase Precautions 🌿 Most works in this gallery are purely handmade. The glaze color, ash deposits, and textures of each piece will vary, which is precisely the natural charm and uniqueness of wood-fired ceramics. 🌿 Dimensions are measured by hand. There may be an error of approximately 0.5-1 cm, which is within the normal range. 🌿 During the handcrafting process, minor crafting marks may be retained, which is a natural characteristic of handmade items. 🌿 During the wood firing process, ash deposits, mineral inclusions, or a rough glaze surface are natural phenomena, not defects. 🌿 Product photos may vary due to different lighting conditions. Please refer to the actual product for the actual color. If you have any questions about the artwork, please feel free to send a private message for discussion. — 🌿 TAS Gallery, Recorder of Pottery and Fire —