Kiln: The Cradle of Jian Zhan

Clay and glaze are the body and soul of Jian Zhan, while the kiln serves as the cradle that forges them into art.

Jian kilns originated in the Shang Dynasty, flourished in the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, peaked in the Song Dynasty, and declined in the Yuan Dynasty. Today, some ancient kiln sites remain in Houjing Village and Chizhong Village, Shuiji Town, Jianyang District, Nanping City, Fujian Province. Among these, the Jian Kiln site was designated as a National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Unit in the fifth batch by the State Council on June 5, 2001.

Jian kilns are generally categorized into electric and wood firing. The earliest revival of Jian Zhan techniques employed electric kilns—small, enclosed chambers that use electricity for heating and electronic devices to control the firing process.

As electric firing matured, traditional wood firing also saw a revival. Wood-fired kilns mainly include dragon kilns, mantou (bun-shaped) kilns, and downdraft kilns.

The traditional dragon kiln, a testament to the ingenuity of Song Dynasty potters, was built along hillsides and used side-draft flames. All Jian Zhan in the Song Dynasty were fired in dragon kilns.

These are further divided into continuous and compartmentalized dragon kilns.

The continuous type resembles a tunnel—unobstructed and without divisions—hence its name. However, it suffers from uneven temperature distribution, difficulty in maintaining a reducing atmosphere, and imprecise flame control. Some dragon kilns exceed 40 meters in length and can fire over 10,000 pieces at full capacity.

Compartmentalized dragon kilns were improved from continuous ones by adding firewalls between stoking ports, with small openings at the base to allow heat transfer. This design improves energy efficiency and reduces the amount of pine wood needed to reach the required temperature.

Mantou kilns feature an arched roof that helps direct flames upward before pressing them down. There are also hulu (gourd-shaped) kilns, symbolizing good fortune, and yuanbao (ingot-shaped) kilns, resembling gold ingots—both variations of the mantou kiln.

Downdraft kilns, developed in the Ming Dynasty from earlier ascending-flame and mantou kilns, are intermittent kilns widely used in ceramics. They consist of a combustion chamber, firing chamber, and flues. The flame rises from the fire mouth to the sealed top, then is forced downward through gaps between saggars, enters flues at the base, and finally exits through the chimney. These kilns offer great flexibility for various products and temperatures, with lower construction costs and wood consumption compared to dragon kilns.

Regardless of type, kilns require careful coordination and control by a team of workers. Firing a full kiln takes over 30 hours and involves more than 20 people working in shifts. Every step demands meticulous attention. As the saying goes, “One kiln may bring life, another death”—each firing carries significant risk and cost.

Due to strict restrictions on pine wood logging, wood-fired kilns have become increasingly rare, while electric kilns are now more common.

Wood firing produces a naturally lustrous glaze, rustic and subdued texture, and more varied pores compared to electric firing. The glaze results entirely from the interaction of clay, fire, and wood ash, with natural ash deposition creating a unique glaze effect. Fire marks left during firing also contribute to unexpected, beautiful patterns—true to the saying, “One color enters the kiln, ten thousand colors emerge.” This variability is the greatest charm of wood firing. However, it has drawbacks: high costs (large amounts of wood, frequent maintenance, and rebuilding after 60–80 uses), demanding skill requirements (low success rate and limited glaze effects like oil spots or partridge feathers), and environmental constraints (strict logging limits make pine wood scarce).
Electric kilns, with their compact size and dedicated reduction ports, allow precise control of temperature and atmosphere. This enables a wider range of glaze effects, including vivid hare’s fur, oil spots, tea-dust glaze, persimmon red, and even rare iridescent and colorful finishes. As a result, electric and gas kilns have become the mainstream methods for producing Jian Zhan today.