Economics & Ceramics: Wood Firing Vs. Gas Firing and The Story of Lee Tae Ho

Not all ceramics are made the same. One of the biggest factors affecting the price of ceramics is whether a piece was fired in a wood burning or gas kiln.

Pieces from traditional wood burning kilns carry some value in Korea just because they employ methods that are 'traditional' and 'natural'. These factors also permeate all faucets of tea culture in Korea. The natural details created by pieces fired in a wood burning kiln such as flecks of ash, a rougher surface, and warping due to uneven heating are also highly valued. These details are not created by the hand of the artist but are imprinted by the hand of the wood burning kiln. These are factors that the ceramicist can't completely control. So in this way a measure of good luck is required to create a good work with a wood fired kiln. These pieces are valued by our eyes, but more so, our touch.

Gas fired works struggle to recreate the natural surface of ceramics. Not only is the process mechanized, art created in the gas kiln also exudes a certain 'artificialness' to it. The glossy finish and smooth, sleek look often characterize gas fired pieces. Although, to the western mind, these adjectives may sound like they should increase the value of a given work, in the wabi sabi tradition where perfection and symmetry are seen as unnatural, these pieces aren't so sought after.

Also costs of production must be taken into account. Wood burning kilns are expensive and labour intensive to make, but are much more expensive to actually run. Wood isn't cheap, especially in Korea. And especially when you consider how much lumber you would need to properly achieve the firing temperature. In gas kilns achieving, maintaining, and controlling the firing temperature is as easy as a turn of a dial, in wood burning kilns this is an art in and of itself. It takes not only more money to fire ceramics but much more time also.

In todays tough economic climate, one wonders if lesser known Korean ceramicist are switching from traditional wood firing to cost effective gas firing? Certainly one has heard of talented struggling ceramicists making the jump from wood burning to gas firing before.

One stumbled across some colourful teaware in a Daegu shop some time ago. Unable to determine the artist in question, one asked the store clerk who had produced such interesting, natural works. He went on to tell how the owner of the store discovered Lee Tae Ho.

As it goes, Lee Tae Ho had been artist for a while, but unable to crack the market, he only managed to make enough money to get by. His pieces were created from the naturalness of the wood fired kiln so naturally he charged appropriately for such works. At one point he realized that he wasn't getting anywhere selling these more expensive wood-fired pieces, in fact, he was barely making it day to day.

The store manager heard that Lee Tae Ho was having an exhibit so went to check out his work. She was perhaps a bit shocked to find out that his exhibition was at his 'new' home, an old abandon building, not the typical art gallery. On display he had many inexpensive gas fired pieces that almost pass as wood fired pieces.

Pictured are some interesting pots by a truly 'starving artist'.

Peace

Sinouk High Mountain 'Smoked Green Tea' From Korman Village, Phongsali (Lao Mao Cha)

This tea was picked up on ones journey for less than a box of cheap bagged tea on a supermarket shelf in the west. The foil pack reads, “Prepared by hand and smoked in a bamboo-formed stick, this tea has special lasting fragrance and taste”. Hmmm... Let's find out.

Using scissors to snip the top of the foil pack allows the beauty of this tea to be revealed. If one bought this tea only to sniff its dry leaves, it would be money well spent. Its odour is quite unique for a tea. It smells like none smelt before. These leaves smell like a hickory smoked mountain forest, a bit of mesquite sweetness covered with musk all under a layer of smoke. These dry leaves have that 'Korman forest' scent that one experienced with another sample from the area. They smell somewhat like some of the better smelling 'smoked tea' found in Phongsali's market.

As one peers inside, past exciting odours, one sees dry leaves forming a tangled web of long, thinly rolled leaves that sport a variety of muted greenish colours all the way from the more brown to more green spectrum. There are no small leaves here, all are of the medium to medium large type, almost exclusively unbroken.

They are placed in a large yixing pot and near boiling water is added. Initial smoky nuances dissipate into respectable puerh sweetness. This tea is very 'shang puerh'. The liquid is a pale clouded whitish yellow. Smoke hints at tobacco in the mouth for a few seconds after swallowing, but shies away from making it to the nose. In fact this gritty timid feeling doesn't want to leave the safety of the front of the mouth and tongue.

Its taste is lightly smoky peurh, mixed with the thin misty fields that surround the mountainous village of Korman as well as subtle minty-licorice. These soft flavors are like the workers in the dense foggy fields of Korman, if you don't pay attention you are sure to miss them. Just as you spot one in the blinding fog it seems to disappear once more, in an instant never to be seen again. These ghostly flavours are only found in perhaps an infusion or two as this tea looses its legs fast. A very common puerh taste is drug into the mountain scape distance. This tea lacks stamina and putters out quickly.

On the upside, this tea can be enjoyed without the strong edginess of a young shang. Unlike infant shang puerh, this tea doesn't shake up the guts. Its qi takes a bit of time to kick in, but when it does, it gently alerts gathering more on the sides of ones core than becoming stagnant in the stomach. Although, this chaqi is very light one enjoys its movement in the body.

Peace

One More Interesting Tang Gwan (Tetsubin) By Kim Jeong Hoon

One loves the blooming lotus flower knob and how the rusty metal handle is arching low over the full sized body of this pot. If you look closely you can see the auspicious coy fish broadsided by the handle, feeding on the spout. Kim Jeong Hoon really pulls off an interesting pond motif here.

Peace

Chigi No Shiro Matcha

This tea is the third from the bottom from Marukyu-Koyamaen. One found these notes from Korea and thought they were worthy of a publish…

The powder smells green, fresh, and, well, quite typical for a newly opened can of matcha, not that one would ever get tired of that invigorating scent. Actually, when more time and a clearer mind is spent with this powder, a faint underpinning of berries and potato were detected- a weird combination indeed.

One whisks slow, faster, then slower once again. Ones eyes enjoy the resulting bubbly froth. This time the tea is exquisitely produced. When consumed it presents a creamy body under dry woodiness, very subtle berries. Bitter berries like wild American choke cherries. A mouthfeel is present that dries up the mouth and lips. A mild tart taste is left in the mouth. Very nice.

When this tea isn’t made as good, it flaunts greenness with a slight smokiness that is found in the lower grades of Marukyu-Koyamaen. These sensations interrupt its full fresh green tea taste.

If you’re up for the challenge, this tea can really impress.

Peace

A Shelf Full of Rustic Beauties: Tang Gwans (Tetsubins) by Kim Jeong Hoon

This shelf of tang gwans in a local Daegu shop sure catch ones wandery eyes. Each holds excessive rugged character beyond its years. Each contains such individuality that its hard to even group them together. The details allow one to stare at each for a long time, admiring the rusty spots on their handles, the rugged edges along their sides, the textured earthy clay of their body, the minute detail of their unique knobs, and their overall thought provoking shape. They're all so beautiful and yet so different.

#1

#2
#3

#4
#5
#6

One wonders how they would cuddle the boiling water, what would be the sound of their trembling lids as water vapor struggles to escape? How wonderful would it be to pour steaming water from their spouts?

What little detail do you like on these tang gwans? Which one would you take home?

Peace

2001 Yiwu Jin Yeh Hao from Nada Cha

One hates to pick favorites but this sample from Nada is one of the best teas ever brewed up in ones old little yixing pot. It shouldn't be that suprising that these big, juicy, 100% old growth, all hand processed leaves from the Zheng Shan region of Yiwu produce such amazing tea.

One opens the plastic baggie and dumps the sample into outstretched palms. Bring the palms toward ones nose, one took in the dank, freshly turned fallen leaf smell. It smells like a rotting tree just unearthed from being buried in soil. This scent immediately captivates.

The tea is prepared in a small yixing that only incurred a slight chip on the lid from the long journey from Korea to Canada. The energy of the little pot is a perfect match for the sample of big, full, dark chocolate brown leaves that are mixed with yellow and reddish varieties all of which look excessively healthy. The look of the leaves push curiosity to new levels.

This first brew is juicy and sweet and hints at unbearably complex underflavours, suggesting a nice long session. The tea is soft but immediately full in the mouth. Particularly, the nice light fruity air of this tea heightens expectations.

The following infusions draw out berry flavours from vague fruitiness that slip under this teas smoothness. Wet converts to spice on the tongue and lips. All of this takes place over a rich blanket of the taste of newly disturbed fallen leaves- such rich decadence. Fresh and juicy mingle with deep and rich. There is such depth in its earthiness.

The cha qi brings quick clarity and peace, its energy is undeniably soothing. One meditates deeply with this tea for hours- infusion after infusion after infusion.

One is strongly moved by the way this tea feels in the mouth. Someone with no sense of taste would even fall in love with this tea. The liquor is such a vibrant dark orange/yellow it makes the mini Sel Young Jin erabo style cup radiate with unrivaled pride.

Flavour modestly evolves and after the first 10 infusions is just starting to reveal its true self. Later infusions beget more of a woody caramel taste with just as much complexity as before. Actually this tea remains sweet and full bodied late into its twentieth to thirtieth infusions. Its mouthfeel remains somewhat full and a spiciness still haunts the breath.

Peace

2009 Darjeeling First Day, First Flush, Hand Sorted Goomtee Estate White Tea: A Grape (Great) Tea

This tea was a gift by kind Mr. Rowatt, the manager of Goomtee Tea Estate just outside Kurseong. It was the same tea that one had sampled on March 3rd, a parting gift.

One removes the staples from this tightly wrapped sample. The nose wastes no time in diving into the package and taking deep huffs of tea scented air. The breaths smell of strong rubber with light back muskel evergreen forest notes over a fine flowery scent. The mini multi-green tips have weathered the long journey quite well. Upon closer inspection many are coated in a fine white hair, no leaf is the same as its neighbour. The resulting collage is a pleasure for the eyes.

After admiring these leaves for way too long, one scoops two full cha chiks and dumps them into a large buncheong pot. Eighty Degree water is added then removed from the leaves after about thirty seconds. Light grape notes in extraordinarily fresh, juicy soup is revealed with a flowery after taste. There is a full throatiness with pleasing astringency that stays in the mouth for a while.

The next infusion is done at about eighty-five degrees and is left on the leaves for about thirty-five seconds. The result is that undeniable, Darjeeling white, “Did I just bite into a concord grape?” taste. This particular infusion actually evolves much like it would if consuming an actual grape. It opens juicy like when just piercing the skin of the grape, puncturing its juicy center. Then the flavour hits and is followed by a dry mouthfeel and astringency that comes as the tannins in the peel are chewed. The grape flavour in this infusion is especially pronounced.

The next infusion is for forty seconds at just over eighty-five degrees and brings grape but more flowers than previous infusions. The flowery taste is light daisy and reminds one of the oncoming spring.

The infusions continue with water temperatures and steeping times that follow a similar increasing progression. The flavours become less pronounced with the light flower notes dropping off faster than grape. The mouthfeel stays relatively stable if not becoming more dry. This tea has great stamina compared to other Darjeeling whites that one has tangled with.
The cha qi is also surprisingly warm for a white tea. Although it still demonstrates the coolness that characterizes whites, it seems warmer than most.

Note: One decided to include brewing perimeters on this post, something that one usually tries to deliberately avoid. One decided to add them after experimenting with this tea with near boiling water in a yixing pot for longer steeping times. One tried a similar Darjeeling brewed like this before in Korea and the result was surprising. It brought out the flowery edge of the tea. When one brewed it in this manner it was definitely more flowery but the over-the-top astringency and shortened stamina of the full flavours of this tea put one off in brewing the remainder of the sample like this. Perhaps one must use less dry leaf.

Anyways...

Enjoy the new grass, the new 2009 teas, and all the other joys of spring.

Peace