All fired up

"It was really dangerous, but I wasn't scared and just wanted to keep going," he says.

It wasn't until three years later, after much trial and error, that he finally pulled it off.

"When using such a pot to stew or cook food, the taste will be particularly rich and thick," he adds.

Born into a family of ceramic artists, Zhang developed a strong interest in earthenware as a child, especially under the influence of his father who was a provincial master of arts and crafts in Shanxi, and an inheritor of Pingding engraved porcelain.

In the early 1990s, Zhang started to study porcelain manufacture at a local plant, where he built a solid foundation for his craft.

As time moved on, Zhang saw many craftsmen switch profession, and witnessed many kilns grow cold.

"At that time, Pingding earthenware products were regarded as just ordinary utensils, such as pots and medicine jars," he recalls.

When modern kitchenware flooded the market, many local craftsmen believed that this industry had no future," he recalls.

Yet, he believed the craftsmanship that has been passed down for thousands of years could have new vitality.

In 1996, he founded his own pottery workshop and has since committed himself to the rescue and inheritance of the traditional craft.

In 2002, a businessman from the Netherlands came to Pingding looking for local earthenware, but requested that it featured a large, round opening; a small, thin bottom, and a smooth surface.

It was higher than local standards allowed for, and Zhang invited the best craftsmen to help meet the requirements, but eventually the effort was in vain.

There were very few written records on Pingding earthenware production available for reference, so Zhang had to test every step of the way. He built more than 10 kilns, one after another, trying and failing repeatedly, almost bankrupting himself in the process.

However, he didn't give up and carried on. After over 1,000 experiments, Zhang eventually delivered more than 6,000 items, all of which met the expectations of the Dutch customer.

"Although I didn't make much money, I achieved dignity and hope for Pingding earthenware," he says.

The successful deal further strengthened Zhang's confidence in innovation. After continuous research, he developed a glaze spray sandblasting process, a groundbreaking move that rendered the earthenware's glazed color and thus improved its quality and black appearance.

"When combining the techniques of porcelain carving with earthenware, it was really difficult during the experimentation stage," Zhang recalls, adding that there was no precedent for the earthenware to have a glazed color.

Due to the different materials and firing methods, the two crafts were incompatible.

"If the glaze color is enhanced, it will cause the earthenware body to deform or even collapse, but if the body shape is ensured, the glaze color will become dirty or scarred," he says.

It was his father that helped him deliver the impossible.

"He encouraged me to go on and believed the idea of combining the two crafts was valuable," Zhang says.

After experimenting for five years, Zhang finally succeeded. His finished products received high recognition within the industry.

Zhang didn't rest on his laurels, and has continuously experimented with new techniques and recipes to add even more enhancements, both decorative and functional, to his earthenware products.

Now, his workshop can produce more than 700,000 Pingding earthenware items a year, many of which make their way to Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands.