How to Distinguish the Quality and Authenticity of Jian Zhan: Practical Tips

Jian Zhan, one of the types of porcelain that has seen a significant increase in value in recent years, has gained more and more enthusiasts, and consequently, the number of merchants dealing in Jian Zhan has also grown. However, this has led to some unscrupulous merchants producing various inferior counterfeit Jian Zhan. Therefore, selecting a Jian Zhan that one likes in the market requires considerable effort. So, how can we identify a forged Jian Zhan?

Iron Body, a Crucial Standard for Authenticity. The iron body is one of the important criteria for testing the authenticity of a Jian Zhan and is the most core standard. There is a saying in the industry: "No iron body, no Jian Zhan."

The base of a Jian Zhan is generally grayish-black and dark black, both on the outside and inside, and when you knock on a Jian Zhan with chopsticks, it emits a sound similar to the collision of metal. Due to the rough body of the Jian Zhan, which has many small air holes, it also has the effect of being breathable and insulating. Since the clay can only be sourced from the Jianyang Shuiji area, the most authentic Jian Zhan comes from Jianyang, and only the glazed tea bowls from Jianyang can be called Jian Zhan.

Some Jian Zhan currently sold on the market have a lighter body color. This does not mean that these bowls are not good, but they have lost the essence of Jian Zhan and perhaps should not be called Jian Zhan. These bowls often use makeup soil for the base, and the inside is not black but another color.

Therefore, in tea markets, exhibitions, and even online, some so-called Jian Zhan that people see have patterns that feel somewhat different from the real Jianyang Jian Zhan, and of course, the prices are also very cheap. Such "Jian Zhan" should be noted and may be produced elsewhere, not the regular Jian Zhan from Jianyang!

These bowls are not made from the unique raw materials of Jian Zhan but are mixed with other soils and added elements, not fired with the local soil and glaze materials from Jianyang. Over time, they may fade in color and overall appear dull, so these bowls are likely to be fake Jian Zhan.

However, for some new friends of Jian Zhan, it is still quite difficult to distinguish between real and fake Jian Zhan. Therefore, the main content of today is some practical skills for identifying Jian Zhan.

1. Price Identification

Everyone knows that firing Jian Zhan is not easy, and it is even more difficult to fire high-quality Jian Zhan. It may be a month before a high-quality Jian Zhan is fired, so the Jian Zhan you buy should not be too cheap. It doesn't have to be hundreds or thousands of dollars for a Jian Zhan, but if it's just a few dollars or a dozen dollars, you may need to be cautious.

2. Quality Identification

As mentioned earlier, if you gently knock on a Jian Zhan, you will find that the sound is relatively deep, while the counterfeit often has a crisp sound. The genuine Jian Zhan feels subtle and profound to the touch, but the counterfeit is different; the bowl body is generally thinner and feels lighter.

3. Workmanship Identification

If a Jian Zhan does not have ice crackle glaze, then this Jian Zhan is likely to be a counterfeit, because the real Jian Zhan is usually quite rough and therefore has ice crackle glaze.

Compared to the glaze of a genuine Jian Zhan, the glaze of a counterfeit Jian Zhan is more fleeting and appears shiny, with some soil rust specifically used to confuse the vision. In addition, counterfeit Jian Zhan is generally made using wheel press molding or slip casting, so the counterfeit Jian Zhan is often very neat, lacking a random and very deliberate aesthetic.

4. Avoiding Two Extremes

On the one hand, the idea that whether a Jian Zhan is good or bad, as long as you buy it, it will appreciate in value is absolutely wrong. This is a trick used by some merchants to deceive people.

On the other hand, underestimating the value of Jian Zhan and missing out on good bowls. These friends are not liked by merchants and do not benefit themselves. It is important to know that the value or price of a Jian Zhan is mostly a manifestation of will, not something that can be determined by individual will. A good Jian Zhan reflects the efforts of the craftsman, and we should not only respect and appreciate it but also value it reasonably.

Importantly, each Jian Zhan has its inherent glaze color and unique patterns, and the beauty it contains is not only a natural beauty but also a kind of spiritual beauty that cannot be detected by vision and touch.