Light stoneware with a copper-red reduction glaze and a soft green shimmering variation, created naturally during firing in a gas kiln.

H   27.5 cm

D   26.5 cm

Changsha kilns of the Tang Dynasty (8th–9th century) represent the earliest known source of high-fired copper glazes. Unlike earlier low-temperature lead glazes, where copper had long been used as a colourant, Changsha potters were among the first to apply copper intentionally in high-temperature stoneware. Their work produced both transparent copper-green glazes and, most importantly, the earliest documented examples of copper-red fired in reduction. Some rare pieces even display green and red on the same surface — a technically exceptional result governed by the kiln atmosphere.

Archaeological findings and modern analyses confirm that Changsha played a key role in the birth of high-temperature copper-red glaze. Its distinctive colours arise from colloidal copper particles and complex interactions of absorption and scattering within the glaze matrix, making it one of the most challenging and historically significant glaze innovations in Chinese ceramics.

Created by ceramic artisan Max Biermann, this piece was crafted entirely by hand in his studio in the Westerwald region of Germany. His work focuses on simple, balanced forms and subtle glaze variations shaped by fire and atmosphere. Each object is produced individually, resulting in surfaces and tones that cannot be replicated — making Aurora a singular, one-of-one piece.

The Artisan

Max Biermann (born 1996 in Essen, Germany) works with a rare clarity of intention, allowing form, material, and fire to determine the quiet authority of his pieces. Trained at the Ceramic Workshop Margaretenhöhe and the State College of Ceramics Höhr-Grenzhausen, he cultivates a practice rooted in precision, restraint, and an intimate understanding of stoneware.

His vessels emerge through a dialogue with the wheel and freely shaped slabs, defined by subtle shifts in proportion and by the atmospheric depth of reduction firing. Local clays and ashes—collected and refined by the artist—introduce natural variations that give each work its distinct presence.

Biermann’s pieces balance functional purpose with sculptural poise. Objects developed in relation to East Asian tea traditions stand alongside autonomous forms that reveal their character through surface, weight, and the quiet tension of line. Across all works, his language remains one of understated elegance—refined, grounded, and closely tied to material origin.

Working from the Westerwald, Biermann creates limited, individually produced stoneware pieces that speak to longevity, integrity, and a timeless sense of clarity.

Shipped directly from the artist in Germany. Please enquire for exact shipping costs.