Yoseka Stationery

Yoseka Ceramics Ink Series - Qing Shan Hu Red

$20.00
$20.00

Produced in collaboration with Ink Institute and ceramic artist Li Yan Xun, our Yoseka Ceramics Ink Series showcases 8 unique colors inspired by ceramic glazes from the Yuan, Ming, Tang, Qing, and Song Dynasties, spanning 10 centuries of Chinese color and history. We worked closely with Li to select these 8 colors from his Yan Cai color project, in which he used chemical experimentation to revive the formulas of over 60 historical glazes, to represent the brilliant and splendid history of Chinese ceramics.

This coral red glaze is colored almost entirely with iron, which produces this sweet glossy blush when fired at a low temperature over pure white porcelain. The color descends from the red and green wares that were popular during the Jin Dynasty; it acquired its popularity during the Qing Dynasty, when the Kangxi Emperor’s dedication to the ceramic production and trade in Jingdezhen led to the flourishing of artistic trade and training. While the coral red was popular as an accent glaze for intricate designs, porcelain ware that sports this coral red as a monochromatic wash have actually accrued more value over time. The unique coral shade evokes a splendid and dramatic sunset. 

Coral red gaiwan with white plum blossom motif (ca. Qing Dynasty [1644-1912])
The Palace Museum, Beijing, China

About Li Yanxun: Li Yan Xun is a ceramic artist and the founder of the Yanshan Art Museum  in Jingdezhen, China. Hailing from a family of ceramic artists, he received formal training at the renowned Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute before starting his own ceramics studio. In addition to inheriting the “watercolor glaze” techniques pioneered by his father, Li Xiaocong, Li Yan Xun spent almost a decade researching and cataloguing the glaze pigments used in Jingdezhen during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Experimenting with chemical methods like glaze reduction tests and pure reagent analyses, he revived more than 60 historic glazes and documented each formula. Through this color project, titled Yan Cai, Li pursues the notion that an artist can be involved in every phase of their art-making process, from the development of the medium, to the physical craftsmanship, to the firing and completion of the object.