Chinese Ru kiln(Ruyao汝窑): When the Ru kiln porcelain cools down naturally after high-temperature firing, cracks will form on the surface, and you’ll hear a beautiful sound like wind chimes. That’s the cracking process called kaipian开片. Every piece has a different crackle pattern — each one is unique. The most common one is the ice crackle. There are also fish-scale crackles and cicada-wing crackles. These cracks form completely naturally, and artisans never interfere with them. The tapping you see in the video is just to let people watch the cracking happen right away. The green porcelain in the first clip is a lower-cost imitation Ru kiln porcelain. The last part is the sound of fresh Ru kiln porcelain cracking just after it comes out of the kiln. The one closer to sky-blue is the Chinese porcelain artisans’ attempt to recreate the Song Dynasty Ru kiln. The color restoration is already very close, but the ancient firing technique has not been fully replicated. Ruyao is very popular nowadays. Clients even order custom Ruyao thermos mugs to show off their refined taste. (cr 1, 2.)
Chinese netizens' reactions to the first ceramic artist testing the porcelain:
Ru kiln is ranked number one among the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty—Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun, and Ding. It was only in production for a short time, and very few pieces have survived—fewer than a hundred are known to exist today. That's why it's known as the "king of celadon." Ru ware was made specifically for the imperial court, famous for its sky-blue glaze and crackle patterns, with incredibly fine craftsmanship. It was most active during the mid-to-late Northern Song Dynasty, around the late 11th to early 12th century, specifically during the reign of Emperor Zhezong through Emperor Huizong (roughly 1086 to 1125).
