Song-Style Ru Ware Sky-Blue Glaze Brush Washers
The Color the Emperor Called Heaven
The Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty — himself a painter of extraordinary refinement — is said to have described the color he wanted for his imperial porcelain in a single phrase: "the blue of the sky after rain, seen between clouds." The potters of the Ru kilns in Henan province spent years attempting to produce that color. When they succeeded, the result was Ru ware: a celadon glaze of such precise, luminous blue-grey that it has been considered the pinnacle of Chinese ceramic achievement for nine hundred years.
Ru ware was produced for only about twenty years, exclusively for the imperial court. Fewer than a hundred authentic pieces survive worldwide. The brush washers in this collection are made by contemporary masters working at the revived Ru kilns in Baofeng County, Henan — the original production site — using locally sourced clay and glaze materials that replicate the mineral composition of Song-period Ru ware. The sky-blue glaze, the fine crackle network, the sesame-seed firing marks on the base: these are not approximations. They are the result of decades of research and practice by potters who have dedicated their working lives to recovering what Huizong asked for.
Why This Collection Holds Time
- The rarest glaze in Chinese ceramic history — fewer than 100 authentic Song Ru pieces survive; the color they achieved has been the target of ceramic research for nine centuries
- Original kiln site, original materials — these pieces are made at the revived Baofeng kilns using locally sourced clay and glaze minerals that match the geological profile of Song-period Ru ware
- The crackle is not a flaw — the fine network of cracks in the glaze surface (kaibian) develops during cooling and is considered an aesthetic feature; each piece's crackle pattern is unique
- Sesame-seed firing marks — Ru ware was fired on small sesame-seed-sized supports, leaving characteristic marks on the base; these reproductions carry the same marks, made the same way
- The brush washer form is a scholar's object — the brush washer (bi xi) was used to rinse ink brushes; it sat on the scholar's desk as both tool and aesthetic object, chosen for its capacity to hold the eye
- Wood-fired in traditional kilns — the atmospheric variation of wood firing produces the subtle color shifts and surface depth that electric kilns cannot replicate
Imagine It In Your World
Scene One: The brush washer sits on your desk, holding three brushes and a small amount of water. The sky-blue glaze catches the light from your window and holds it differently at different times of day — greyer in the morning, bluer at noon, almost lavender in the late afternoon. You have stopped noticing this consciously. It has become part of the rhythm of your day: the color of the light, and the color of the glaze responding to it. This is what Huizong wanted. This is what he got.
Scene Two: You are showing the brush washer to someone who knows ceramics. They hold it up to the light and tilt it slowly, watching the crackle network shift. They count the sesame marks on the base. They set it down and say nothing for a moment. Then: "The glaze depth is right." Nine hundred years of ceramic research, compressed into four words of professional approval.
Craft Specifications — What You're Holding
- Clay body: Local Baofeng County clay, matching the geological profile of Song-period Ru ware; grey-white body with fine texture
- Glaze composition: Agate-bearing glaze with trace mineral additions producing the characteristic sky-blue (tianqing) color; glaze thickness 1.5–2mm
- Firing method: Wood-fired in traditional kiln atmosphere; reduction firing produces the blue-grey color shift
- Firing temperature: 1180–1220°C
- Surface characteristics: Fine crackle network (kaibian) developing during cooling; unique pattern on each piece
- Base marks: Sesame-seed firing support marks on base, in the Song tradition
- Origin: Baofeng County, Henan Province — the original Ru kiln production site
These Things Were Made by Years. They Now Belong to You.
Huizong asked for the color of the sky after rain. The potters of Baofeng gave it to him. Nine hundred years later, the potters of Baofeng are still giving it — to anyone who knows how to ask. Scroll down. The color is waiting.
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