Free Shipping within the Contiguous U.S.
Free return on your first purchase within the Contiguous U.S.
Butterfly Rust is a rare persimmon-rust iron glaze formed through traditional wood firing in a 60-meter Skyward Dragon Kiln in Jianyang. The glaze developed under the prolonged flame travel and complex atmospheric conditions unique to large dragon kilns.
During firing, iron migration within the high-iron glaze, combined with alternating oxidation-reduction conditions and wood ash deposition, produced silver crystalline structures across the glaze surface. Under specific temperature gradients, these crystals occasionally formed distinctive butterfly-like patterns within the iron-rust glaze matrix.
This effect was achieved only intermittently during several years of firing in the original 60-meter dragon kiln operated by the artist and local craftsmen. The kiln has since been incorporated into the Jian Ware historical and cultural protection zone and is no longer permitted to fire. As a result, the precise kiln conditions responsible for this glaze can no longer be reproduced.
Fewer than four hundred pieces were successfully produced in total, with fewer than seventy authenticated examples remaining available worldwide. For this reason, Jian Zhan featuring the Butterfly Rust glaze are among the rarest and most valuable not only in the Phoenix Kiln collection, but across collections worldwide.
Handmade in Shuiji Town, Jianyang, Fujian, using local iron-rich clay and naturally iron-bearing mineral glaze.
Technical Specifications
Kiln Type: 60-meter Skyward Dragon Kiln wood-fired
Firing Temperature: approx. 1350 °C
Firing Cycle: approx. 20 days preparation, 3 days firing
Firing Atmosphere: alternating oxidation and reduction
Forming Method: fully hand-thrown
Trimming Method: fully hand-trimmed
Clay Source: Shuiji Town, Jianyang, Fujian
Clay Iron Content: >12%
Glaze Material: natural iron-bearing mineral glaze
Glaze Structure: surface crystallization
Glaze Type: Persimmon Rust (iron-rust crystalline glaze)
Edition: individually numbered work
Origin: Shuiji Town, Jianyang, Fujian, China
Details
• Diameter: 9.7 cm (3.8”)
• Height: 5.0 cm (2.0”)
• Capacity: 130 ml (4.4 fl oz)
• Weight: 173 g (6.1 oz)
• Note:
– Capacity measured close to the rim; for use, fill about 70% full.
– All measurements are taken by hand; slight variation may occur.
In the Box
• Rosewood Collector’s Box with Concealed Mechanism
• Linen Cup Pouch
• Double-Layer Cotton Tea Towel
• Collector’s Brochure with Certificate — artisan-signed, sealed, and individually numbered
• Care Instruction Card
• Disposable LED Mini Light
