Ink Flow

Matte Underglaze Zisha Earrings with Hand-Pinched Gold Accents

Product Description

A slab of stone that has absorbed a thousand years of rain — ink blue pooling in hollows, violet trailing at the edges, pale blue where the water ran thin.

Ink Flow is cut from Zisha purple clay, its reverse face coated in white engobe — a fine porcelain slip that transforms the dark, iron-rich body into a pale canvas. On the front face, underglaze pigments are dabbed in multiple layers: cobalt, lavender, grey-blue, settling into the clay like ink into rice paper. There is no glaze. The surface remains matte and porous, absorbing light rather than reflecting it — darker, deeper, quieter than any glazed surface could be. The colors do not sit on top; they live inside the clay.

Two small forms anchor the surface — a triangular peak and a rounded dome, each hand-pinched from Zisha and traced with liquid gold. They feel like mineral deposits on a cliff face, or small treasures found by chance. The ear hook is sterling silver plated in gold — warm against the skin, and shaped to catch the light that the matte surface does not. 

Key Features

• Unglazed underglaze on Zisha — Multi-layer hand-dotted underglaze on purple clay; matte, porous surface with ink-wash depth
• White engobe reverse — Back face coated in white porcelain slip, transforming the dark Zisha body into a pale, smooth surface
• Hand-pinched gold accents — Two small Zisha clay forms (triangular and domed), hand-pinched and detailed with liquid gold
• Liquid gold detailing — Gold accents low-temperature baked (700–850°C); traditional overglaze gilding
• Sterling silver gold-plated hook — S925 silver ear hook with gold plating

Materials & Specifications

Technique Heritage

• Unglazed Underglaze on Zisha  — Underglaze pigments are hand-dabbed in multiple layers onto the Zisha body and high-fired without any glaze covering. On Zisha — denser, darker, richer in iron — the pigments sink into the clay's fine pores, and the colors read as though seen through dark water. The absence of glaze preserves the clay's natural tactility — a surface you want to touch.
• White Engobe  — Also called "cosmetic slip" or "Taoyi," engobe is a fine liquid clay applied to the surface of a pottery body before firing. Here, white engobe coats the reverse face of the Zisha body, masking its dark, iron-rich color with a smooth, pale surface. The technique has been used in Chinese ceramics since antiquity to transform humble clay bodies into refined canvases — the same principle behind Cizhou ware's celebrated white-on-black painting tradition.
• Hand-Pinched Gold Accents — The two small forms on each earring are shaped by hand from Zisha clay, then detailed with liquid gold after firing. Neither molded nor cast, each form carries the imprint of the artisan's fingers — a tiny sculpture within a larger composition.
• Liquid Gold Detailing— Liquid gold is hand-painted onto the already-fired surface and baked at 700–850°C. During baking, the organic resin in the gold liquid burns away, leaving a thin metallic film bonded to the surface — the same finishing technique found on Meissen, Hermès tableware, and Royal Copenhagen. 

Care

• Avoid direct contact with perfume, lotion, or chemicals
• The unglazed surface is porous; handle with dry, clean hands
• Store separately to prevent staining or scratching
• Remove before swimming or bathing
• Clean gently with a soft dry cloth; do not submerge in water for extended periods

Part of the TaoTianXia collection — entirely handcrafted in Jingdezhen, each piece one of a kind. Our ceramic artistry has been chosen for diplomatic gifting, trusted by over 70 Fortune Global 500 companies, and featured at New York's Grand Central Terminal.