The Jingdezhen boys playing tea set
Jingdezhen is now one of the most well-respected porcelain centers of the world, and it has maintained this reputation for several centuries.
It’s difficult to say exactly when the first Chinese tea sets were made in this small town, but it’s clear that production here had already reached an advanced level by 1,000 A.D.
But by that time, and even well before then, there were many towns and cities across China doing similar work. So there’s a question to be answered: how did Jingdezhen set itself apart from all of the others, and who is responsible for the huge growth in the Jingdezhen china tea set industry?
Zhao Kai: The Creator
Almost all experts agree that the china tea set trade in Jingdezhen would not have reached its current state if not for one man named Zhao Kai.
Zhao was a powerful government official during the Jin dynasty (265-420 A.D.) who became disillusioned with the ruling family. At that time, corruption was rampant and Zhao decided to leave his post.
The Jingdezhen cats and butterflies tea set
He moved to Jingdezhen, which was a largely unknown town, even within China. Zhao went there and studied one of his favorite hobbies: porcelain.
But Zhao was no amateur when he arrived. He had already studied the latest techniques of molding, firing, and glazing Chinese tea sets while at his government post in a larger city.
What he found in Jingdezhen was a proverbial backwater: the craftsmanship was poor, pieces were frequently wasted, and there was little training or education on crafting porcelain.
The one saving grace of Jingdezhen was its special clay. This clay was pure white and rock hard when fired, making it easy to mold into thin, elaborate shapes. So Zhao decided to stay and see what he could do with this new material.
The Jingdezhen magpie tea set
Zhao used this clay to make his own Chinese tea sets, and taught the local people how to fire the clay properly. In those days, firing was no easy task, as the kilns were heated by wood and no thermometers were available. So Zhao taught the locals his techniques, improving the porcelain production in the whole area.
Not only that, he taught them how to select the best clay, mould it into fine shapes, glaze it so it would shine bright, and keep the clay’s strength even though the items could be paper thin.
Because of his contributions to their town, the people of Jingdezhen later built a temple to memorialize Zhao Kai, and called him their “master teacher.” Even today, he's considered the father of Jingdezhen china tea sets.
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