[Explanation] Xing kiln was a famous ceramic firing kiln in the north in the Sui and Tang dynasties. The ruins of Xing kiln are widely distributed around Neiqiu County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province, and there are scattered porcelain pieces and kiln furniture everywhere.
Li Hengkun, 57, is a researcher of Xing kiln culture in Neiqiu County and a craftsman of Xing kiln restoration and firing. He has been dealing with Xing porcelain for more than 20 years.
[Same period] Li Hengkun, a craftsman of Xing kiln restoration and firing skills
After I participated in the compilation of "Neiqiu County Chronicle" in 2000, I got to know Xing kiln and learned about Xing kiln culture.
Xing kiln is the most beautiful stage in the history of Chinese ceramics in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is a precious cultural heritage. Therefore, after having a strong interest in the study of Xing kiln, it has been studied until now.
[Explanation] Recently, in Li Hengkun's storage room, the reporter saw a large number of old porcelain pieces and kiln furniture.
According to Li Hengkun, he often goes out early in the morning to pick up and collect old porcelain pieces. Sometimes he sees the pieces he likes from others and buys them at a high price.
Over the years, he has collected hundreds of thousands of old porcelain pieces and kilns. For each piece of research-worthy porcelain pieces and kiln furniture, he will classify them into different categories, mark the age, glaze color, and category, and study them carefully.
[Same period] Li Hengkun, a craftsman of Xing kiln restoration and firing skills
I picked up a lot of Xing kiln furniture. From the research of this kiln furniture, I found that the firing skills in (ancient) Xing kilns are very unique. For example, Xing kiln (firing) skills have been basically lost in the Song Dynasty. , Later, people used a kind of burning, that is, burning it in a sagger.
This saggar (firing) is actually a firing method created by Xing kiln. After the Song Dynasty, a large number of ceramic firing techniques were fired by borrowing the firing techniques of Xing kiln.
[Explanation] In 2015, Li Hengkun raised his own funds and established a studio to study the repairing and firing techniques of Xing kilns.
Whenever he has time, he burrows into the studio and uses local clay for firing.
Through comparative analysis with old porcelain pieces, and after several years of uninterrupted experiments, he successfully mastered the Xing kiln firing skills of white porcelain and various glaze colors.
[Same period] Li Hengkun, a craftsman of Xing kiln restoration and firing skills
When it comes to Xing kiln, people all talk about white porcelain. In fact, Xing kiln is a kiln with multiple glaze colors. Other glaze colors are also colorful, such as yellow glaze (color), brown glaze (color, etc.). The ancient porcelain pieces are compared to maximize the restoration of the multi-glaze firing of the (ancient) Xing kiln.
[Explanation] Li Hengkun said that every piece of porcelain has its own life.
Only by doing our best to restore this thousand-year-old firing technique can people better understand the Xing kiln culture, so as to inherit and protect this thousand-year-old historical and cultural heritage.
Chen Shiyu and Zhang Pengxiang report from Xingtai
Responsible editor: [Li Ji]