The Jianzhan Tenmoku books - www.teaslee.com

1. "Tea Bowls" "茶碗"

This book introduces the highest-end tea utensils stored in major museums in Japan, including three Jianzhan designated as national treasures and tea utensils produced in various kilns during the Song Dynasty in China. It is beautifully printed and is a book worth having.

2. "Tenmoku" by Yasuko Nishida, Sato, "The Beauty of Tea Ceramics" "茶陶之美"

These two books extensively introduce tea utensils; of course, Jianzhan is a preferred choice.

3. "Chinese Ancient Ceramic Specimens: Fujian Jian Kiln" by Xie Daohua, "中国古陶瓷标本：福建建窑," Lingnan Fine Arts Publishing House

Xie Daohua graduated from the Department of Archaeology at Xiamen University in 1982 and is a renowned archaeologist and the curator of the Jianyang City Museum. Since 1983, he has been engaged in archaeological excavations of Jian kilns and has become a recognized authority in Jianzhan identification in the industry.

This book has relatively little textual content, mostly a catalog of illustrations, sharing the research results of several major Jian kiln sites. The text is easy to understand and suitable for beginners.

4. "Jianzhan" by Zhao Zhao is divided into three volumes: "Shapes," "Inscriptions," and "Specimens."

1) Shapes
The book is organized around the shapes of Jianzhan, dividing them into ten categories, including “Gong Yu” cups, incense burner-type cups, “Shu Kou” cups, “Pie Kou” cups, “Chang Kou” cups, bowl-shaped cups, cup-shaped cups, and special shapes. Corresponding reference images and textual descriptions accompany each shape category.

2) Inscriptions
A total of 66 types of inscriptions on more than 200 Jianzhan cups are included. The inscriptions covered different social groups during the Song and Yuan dynasties, including emperors, literati, temples, and common people.

The inscriptions on the bottom of Jianzhan cups provide clear records of the users during the Song Dynasty. The book provides detailed descriptions of various inscriptions, allowing readers to understand the social customs of the Song Dynasty through the direct text on the cup bottoms.

3) Specimens
After the Yuan Dynasty, the popularity of Jianzhan gradually declined, and it became less sought after. It has been over 700 years since then, and only a few complete Jianzhan cups have been preserved.

Fortunately, there are still many specimens available for research. This book categorizes Jianzhan specimens into 11 major types based on glaze colors, including Wu Jin glaze, oil spot glaze, yohen glaze, partridge glaze, hare’s fur glaze, and persimmon red glaze. It comprehensively showcases the beauty of Jianzhan’s glaze colors.

5. "The Rising Civilization of Black Porcelain - Jianzhan" by the Jianzhan Compilation Committee, "崛起的黑瓷文明-建盏", Guangming Daily Press

This book is suitable for beginners who want to learn about some of the well-known masters in the Jianzhan field in recent years and understand their thoughts, their current lives, and their works. “The Rising Civilization of Black Porcelain – Jianzhan” is a good choice.

6. "Jian Kiln Ceramic Identification and Appreciation" by Ye Wencheng, Lin Zhonggan, "建窑瓷鉴定与鉴赏", Jiangxi Fine Arts Publishing House

This classic book was published in 2000 and is divided into seven sections, including the origins of the Jian kiln, its typical features, the rise and decline of Jianzhan, tea drinking art, and the Jian kiln, imitations of Jianzhan during the Song and Yuan periods, and artistic charm.

7. "Jian Kiln Jianzhan": This book is authored by Xie Daohua and published by Fujian Map Publishing House. "建窑建盏"

The author has been engaged in field archaeological investigations, excavations, and research of the Jian kiln for a long time.

This book compiles the author’s years of archaeological investigations and cultural research achievements, accompanied by many images of old and new Jianzhan cups.

The academic part may be challenging, but the images are easy to understand and highly informative.