LAUNCH of Two Exquisite Works from Assoc Master Yang and Assoc Master Du, 21st Jan GMT:1600hrs.

Dearest Friends, Assoc Master Yang Quan Sheng and Assoc Master Du Cheng Yao have readied these two Class and Sterling ZiSha designs and works.

Di Xiang 帝乡, 195ml, $790!
Qing Hui Duan Ni 青灰段泥, by Assoc Master Yang Quan Sheng 杨全胜.
Mixed Polygonal (Curved-Polygonal) Class ZiSha Work.

This is a superlative piece of Polygonal Work by Assoc Master Yang.
Read on and be in awe.

This is an amazing Polygonal Pot with Curves, that is deceptively simple, BUT VERY DIFFICULT!  The trials-and-errors are many, even with his years of skills and experience, he needed many days to get one perfectly right!

We are awed by its conception, its execution and its perfect stance:

So tantalisingly svelte, and austere looking:

The careful sculpting of the lid knob, not taking any corners at all. The slow sculpting of the patterns, and the perfectly flat lid surface.  Several others that were rejected had warped lid tops.  This is ZiSha, the highest shrinkage ceramic material known to potters.  ZiSha, it tests your mastery of clay, your first steps of pounding the slab, the maintaining of even moisture throughout the days of working on one pot, prior to firing.

Assoc Master Yang creates this jaw-dropping spout.  It speaks of his extreme skills: the spout appears to have naturally emanate from the pot's body.  Perfect.  Delightful.  It looks so light, graceful and neat.  How he creates from six small slabs of clay into one svelte, scupted, cohesive spout, is unbelievable.

A beauty from all angles.  All angles.

Perfect neatness.

The linear alignment despite all the uncertainties that happens in the kiln:

Great proportionality, supremely poised.

The handle is one delicious sculpture itself: 

Neat.

Now we look at the breathtaking base that joins the six wall slabs critically.
The number of trial-and-error needed to make this pot spans sixty over sheets before he gets all of them right.  Not just that, the pot is subjected to the fortune of the kiln.  ZiSha is the highest shrinkage pottery material and with such high unpredictability, Assoc Master Yang considers a feat and his good fortune that two out of eight come out perfect.  The other six are warped/ the six points do not stand perfectly level/ the six side slabs shrink and tug unduly on one another and become deformed/cracked open at the seams and/or the flat top turns out not perfectly flat.

Quan Sheng, Gu Shi
全胜，古式

Exquisite finishing,

Clean hexagonal lid,

The level of mastery and workmanship from Assoc Master Yang, rivalling that of Senior Masters.  This is an absolute joy to have.  A pride to own.
Look at the surfacing, interfaces, neatness:

Exemplary, beguiling, Top Class Polygonal ZiSha work.

Da Bin Gong Deng 大彬宫灯, 205ml, $440,
Combination of Di Cao Qing Zi Ni with Lao Duan Ni 底槽青 青灰段泥, 调砂,
by Assoc Master Du Cheng Yao 堵程尧.

This is a classic Gong Deng shape that has been tastefully modified by the legendary Shi Da Bin.  Here painstakingly reborn by Assoc Master Du Cheng Yao!  And using the sumptuous combination of Di Cao Qing Zi Ni with Lao Duan Ni.

 "笔锋杀尽南山兔"
A poem by Famous Li Bai 李白。
Engraved here by collaborative L4 Assoc Master Xing Su 行素。

Assoc Master Du is extremely adept at crafting stunning spout reminiscent of the past Ming-Qing era style pots:

Great clay, divine shape, delicious clay combination,

Extremely detailed finishing at the handle, and it is always the little things that split the difference between a great Artist/Craftsman vs a lesser one.

With dexterity and being a young top class professional Artist,
there is no mistaking his accomplishment through every part of his work.
Care and detail.  The base:

Spout carefully finished:

Admire this, one of the most difficult lid-body interface handwork:

Lid,

Assoc Master Du invites you to bring his ZiSha work home.

Bring ONE or two of these outstanding pieces home!
Arriving on 21st Jan 2024, at GMT:1600hrs, Assoc Master Yang and Assoc Master Du are excited to bring to you dearest friends, their two new works: Di Xiang and Da Bin Gong Deng, here in the section below: