23Aug

The Mysterious Beauty of Fire-Glazed Ceramics

The Origin of Vietnamese Ceramics

The art of making ceramics has existed in Vietnam for a long time, passed down from generation to generation. There are even many legends about the birth of ceramics in Vietnam. Accordingly, the appearance of this material is often associated with mysterious and sacred things.

“Ceramics and porcelain are a type of powder that lies deep underground, in sacred places guarded by demons. To exploit them, one must choose a good day and month. When they reach the surface, thanks to the bright light of the sun, the powder turns into ceramics and porcelain...”

(Excerpt from the book Ancient Crafts of Vietnam, Culture and Information Publishing House 2007)

The above legend has been passed down to increase the mystery of the ceramic industry; as well as to emphasize the nobility of this material.

In fact, Vietnamese pottery was born in the early Neolithic period of the Hoa Binh - Bac Son culture (about 6000-7000 years ago). Throughout its history, the pottery making profession has constantly changed with the emergence of many new techniques and patterns with cultural characteristics from many different places.

Thanks to that diversity, more and more unique pottery items are created. Among them, the most prominent is the fire-changing glaze technique - a pottery technique that helps create subtle and magical patterns.

The essence of the pottery profession is condensed in the fire-changing glaze technique

Fire-changing glaze is a glaze technique that uses a combination of three main elements: iron oxide, titanium and temperature. This complex technique creates winding patterns that resemble the movement of fire on the surface of the product. Depending on the skill of the maker and the temperature of the fire when firing, the color and pattern of the finished product will change uniquely. Thanks to this characteristic, fire-changing glaze is considered a material that condenses the quintessence of the country's ceramic art, expressed through the sophistication of manual techniques and creativity in shaping.

Thereby, each color and pattern on the ceramic is naturally different, never 100% the same. This uniqueness helps fire-changing glaze become increasingly popular and applied for many different purposes.

To create high-quality fire-changing glaze models, it requires the skillful hands of talented artisans. Next, high temperatures above 1300 degrees Celsius are used for firing to help remove impurities. This is a process that requires meticulousness and sophistication down to every small detail to remove air bubbles, create shine and wavy lines on the glaze surface.

In addition, high temperature is one of the prerequisites for shaping a high-quality fire-changing glaze product. This not only satisfies aesthetic requirements but also makes the product safer for consumers' health.

Fire-changing glaze contributes to popularizing the beauty of traditional pottery

In fact, the fire-changing glaze technique has existed since the 19th century, but over time and historical events, this technique has gradually faded away. However, to revive this unique glaze art, many traditional pottery villages as well as pottery workshops in Vietnam have begun to research and produce fire-changing glazed ceramic products. They hope that through these products, the beauty of traditional ceramics will be known and appreciated by more people.

Applications of fire-changing glaze in daily life

Ceramics in general can be used in most daily activities such as making kitchen utensils, decoration or improving feng shui,... And with fire-changing glazed ceramic products, they are also expanded through decorative and collection purposes. In particular, designs with unique colors and complex patterns are even more popular.

Thanks to that magical beauty, fire-glazed items become outstanding but not ostentatious. The simple, rustic appearance of ceramics now becomes more polished and sophisticated. In other words, fire-glazed is the intersection between the quintessence of traditional craft techniques and creative innovation.

Discover many unique fire-glazed ceramic products made entirely by hand by Vietnamese artisans!