We continue our series on Yixing zisha clay, by looking at DiCaoQing, a kind of special top zi ni.
What is DiCaoQing clay?
Dicaoqing is one of the most well-known kinds of zini. It was originally mined from the no. 4 and no. 5 mines in Huang Long Shan 黄龙山 and is found when mining other zini. Because it is located in the bottom layer of the zini (ancient qing ni) deposit and has cyan spots, it was named by the miners as 底槽 （bottom layer）青 known as Dicaoqing.
The ore of dicaoqing is easily identified by greenish grey spots, referred to as “chicken eyes” 鸡眼 jiyan. The low amount of oxidized iron in these areas causes the greenish discoloration in the ore.
Types and differences of Dicaoqing.
There are two kinds of authentic Dicaoqing by appearance. One kind is chicken eyes big and sparse, another kind is chicken eyes small and dense.
chicken eyes big and sparse dicaoqing
chicken eyes small and dense dicaoqing
Color red or brown
One of the interesting things about dicaoqing is how firing temperature affects the final color of the clay. The firing temperature for the clay is between 1150-1250°C. Between that range the color of dicaoqing changes drastically. Firing at a lower temperature, such as around 1150-1170°C results in a dark red that can be described as sienna or “pig liver red." Firing at a higher temperature results in a much darker color, closer to dark brown/purple.
