Ru Kiln - A Gem of Fine China

Ru Kiln Chinese Tea Set

Ru Kiln (汝窑) is one of the five most famous China produced in history:  Ru (汝窑), Guan (官窑), Ge (哥窑), Ding (定窑) and Jun (钧窑). Ru is considered to be the best of the best.  It is named after its birthplace the Ru State which is part of today’s He Nan Province. The production of Ru Kiln started from the Tang Dynasty and peaked during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Ru Kiln’s characteristics include: simple but tasteful design, agate glaze, silky texture, unique colour and most amazingly, the capacity of colour change under different lights and with time. Its colour changing nature is described as ‘like lights shining through the clouds after a rain’ or ‘misty blue reflected  buy the distant hills’ – bright yet never overwhelming.

Special nature of Ru Kiln

The clay used in Ru Kiln is extremely fine. There is a fascinating pattern on Ru Kiln ceramic called Kai-Pian (开片). It is believed the Kai-Pian started from a phenomenon called ‘崩釉’,  which translated as ‘erupted glaze’ during the kiln firing and thus failure of the products. The ancient craftsman somehow leant to control this disruptive nature and turned it into an art. The classic products now display an incredible 'Cicada's wings pattern' under the perfect smooth top layer. These ‘cracks’ are clear and subtle when newly produced (see image), but acquire light tea stain after long term use. These then darker ‘Cicada's wings patterns’ give the teapots and cups an unique antique appearance, which is much admired by tea drinkers and the Ru Kiln admirers.

Another premium nature of the Ru Kiln ceramic is the silky soft colour. Not matter what colour they are in, the colour and texture turn into a 'milky' butter soft blend.

Ru Kiln is known to be “like jade, but not jade and better than jade”.

Valley Green Tea offers some of the finest Ru Kiln Chinese tea sets and tea cups at: Chinese tea sets and tea cups for those who wish to own a piece of the history while enjoying a cup of premium tea.