History
Zhunan Snake Kiln was founded in 1972 as Heng-Fa Ceramic Factory. Founder Lin Tien-Fu led nine craftsmen and an ox, made his own mold, produced three thousand adobe bricks, and worked nine days to complete the 25-meter long snake kiln (now shortened to 20 meters). At the time, the kiln produced mainly ceramic flower pots. Zhunan Snake Kiln is one of the few remaining snake kilns in Taiwan that is well-preserved and still firing.
In the 1980's, Zhunan Snake Kiln underwent a transformation to move from the traditional pottery industry to folk craft ceramics. Recently they have been dedicated to the creation of wood-fired ceramic art, research of ceramic culture, and courses in traditional ceramic craft and wood-firing. It also promotes Taiwanese ceramic kiln culture through international events.
In 2001, Zhunan Snake Kiln was selected as one of Taiwan's 100 Historic Buildings, then registered as a Historic Building of Miaoli County in 2002. In 2012, the second generation kiln master Lin Jui-Hwa was selected as a Taiwan Craft Family. Zhunan Snake Kiln is operated as an ecological museum of traditional pottery, extending the Taiwanese ceramic and kiln culture heritage as well as promoting the lifestyle aesthetics of wood-fired ceramic art. It aims to pioneer a new path between traditional craft and modern art.
Snake Kiln
A snake kiln is a type of kiln used in the early days in Taiwan to fire ceramics for everyday use and can be found all over Taiwan. The name "snake kiln" is misleading, as it is not a kiln with curves, but rather long and straight with no dividers inside. Usually built along the bottom of the hill, the kiln looks like a dragon from afar. The state-run kilns of ancient China were thusly called the dragon kiln. Dragon kilns in China evolved over the years to become longer, with some reaching 80~100 meters.
Near the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, the people from southern Fujian brought the design to Taiwan and called it a snake kiln. As the dragon is a symbol of the emperor, civilians would use the term little dragon, or snake, to avoid offending the emperor. When the People's Republic of China was established, all of the snake kilns were renamed dragon kiln; snake kilns were nowhere to be found.
People
Snake Kiln Founder
Lin Tien-Fu
Lin Tien-Fu was born in 1926, and was respectfully called Master Tien-Fu. He began his apprenticeship with a craftsman from Fuzhou at the age of thirteen, and, with his brilliance, became a master himself at fourteen. He has spent a lifetime with pottery, and as a result has gained mastery in a variety of skills: from mining to shaping; from building to firing kilns; and from sculpting to painting. He not only is adept at hand throwing and prototype sculpting, he is also an expert at making molds. The ceramic tables and chairs, big teapots, Dings, and incense burners he makes are simple and modest, true to the essence of Taiwanese traditional folk ceramics. His solid fundamentals are admirable, and he is a living encyclopedia of traditional ceramic craft and culture.
Traditional ceramics craftsmen are usually only well-trained in a single skill, and they would easily be phased out in the rapidly changing society of the 50's. However, Lin Tien-Fu was able to evolve with the times and even develop a rich repertoire of artistic styles. Most extraordinary was how his dedication to and passion for pottery led him to hone his skills and craft so that he may persevere to this day and promote the traditional ceramics culture, even as traditional ceramics culture dwindled. He is both an important keeper of traditional ceramics culture, and a valuable figure in passing the torch of traditional ceramics craft. Under his leadership, Zhunan Snake Kiln now holds a special place on the map of wood-fired ceramic art in Taiwan. Because of his positive and generous attitude, he gives his all when offering guidance for those that came after him. He was awarded the Crafts Achievement Award in 2016 to honor his contributions to the ceramics craft in Taiwan.
Zhunan Snake Kiln Second Generation Kiln Master
Lin Jui-Hwa
Zhunan Snake Kiln Second Generation Kiln Master
Second and third Managing Director of the Association of Wood-fired Ceramic Artwork of Miaoli County
Director of Republic of China Association of Traditional Craftsman
With the observations obtained through years of studying high-temperature wood-fired ceramic art, the Mother Glaze being the pillar, Lin Jui-Hwa published his insights accumulated over twenty years in the field of high-temperature wood-firing. His works are hearty and robust and convey a sense of hospitality like the earth does, akin to his dependable personality and simplistic lifestyle. From his works, we can feel the charm that comes from being born and raised in Taiwan. He followed the "Triple-Ridged Pot" series with "Pulse" and "Taiwan, the Precious Island" and announced the "Ming" and "Arc" series in 2017.
In 1997, he built the Hua Shi Kiln, a new type of small wood-fired kiln which allowed him to continuously experiment and make discoveries about expressing with fire and ash. During the time he spent exploring in the world of super high temperatures, the deeper he delved, the more beauty he saw which he has never seen before. However, the ultimate goal was not to break temperature records, but to break the misconception humans have about the surface of ceramics. Going back to the origin of glaze - the Mother Glaze - learning from the earth, the biggest kiln of all, and creating a gem-like quality using the most natural method, that is the Mother Glaze concept that Lin Jui-Hwa wants to promote. That is the only way to overturn the misconception humans currently have about the use of fire, and the only way to embark on a new path for ceramic art.
He set the Guinness World Record for highest temperature in a wood-fired kiln at 1563°C. He wanted to prove to the world that wood-fired ceramics, if done correctly, can be environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and low in smoke. It can produce countless different natural textures without glaze, all the while significantly cut down on the impact on the environment from refining clay and metals.
Zhunan Snake Kiln Art Director
Deng Shu-Hui
MA, Social Anthropology, NTHU
Zhunan Snake Kiln Art Director
Taiwan Ceramic and Kiln History Writer
In her hands, clay is merely a medium for expression emotions. Her works are based on female emotions. She presents anthropomorphized emotions in the form of semi-abstract human bodies, fish, cats, and birds, among others. Her pieces are about the tolerance of a mother, the female determination, and about a woman's laziness and melancholy. Her ceramic art style shows her down-to-earth personality, matching the characteristics of wood-firing.
Aside from her work as a ceramic artist, she is an expert in humanities research, covering the history of ceramics and traditional ceramic craft in Taiwan. She is also dedicated to promoting wood-fired ceramic art of Taiwan, and Taiwanese Chawan Tea Ceremony, hoping to let more people learn about the beauty of wood-fired ceramic art.