Brand Story: TAOTAO – The Eastern Elegance Tempered by Millennia of Kiln Fires
I. Origins: The "TAO" Culture of Qujialing and the Awakening of Ceramic Art
TAOTAO’s birth is rooted in the treasure of prehistoric civilization – the Qujialing Culture from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Over 5,000 years ago, this land witnessed the pinnacle of black pottery craftsmanship, with intricate patterns and archaic forms that marked the dawn of China’s agrarian civilization. The brand name “TAOTAO” draws from three layers of meaning in Qujialing’s “TAO” culture: ceramic artistry (black pottery techniques), peach blossoms (Qujialing’s springtime splendor), and treasure hunting (the vision to unearth cultural heritage). Inspired by the gold-winning IP “HELLO TAOTAO” from the Qujialing Museum’s global design competition, the brand’s mascot transforms ancient black pottery motifs into modern design language, embodying its初心初心: “Let the world feel the warmth of Eastern clay.”
II. Heritage DNA: A Millennium Dialogue Between Longquan Celadon and Ru Kiln
TAOTAO’s product lines are infused with the essence of two UNESCO-recognized ceramic traditions:
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The Legend of Longquan Celadon “Celadon”
Hailed as the “Gentleman of Porcelain,” Longquan celadon captivates with its jade-like glaze, mirror-like clarity, and chime-like resonance. During the Southern Song Dynasty, it traveled the Maritime Silk Road, enchanting Europe as “Celadon.” TAOTAO collaborates with Longquan heritage masters to revive classic forms like plum-green bell cups and iron-body chrysanthemum petal cups, integrating techniques like tiaodao (jump-carving) and crackled glaze. The signature “Moonlight Glaze Peach Blossom Cup,” crafted from Longquan purple clay, features a hidden “glowing pearl” glaze droplet at its base, paying homage to master Xu Chaoxing’s tiaodao artistry. -
The Ethereal Charm of Ru Kiln’s “Sky After Rain”
Renowned for its sky-blue glaze, Ru Kiln’s hues were once described by Emperor Huizong of Song as “the color of clouds parting after rain.” TAOTAO recreates Ru Kiln’s crackling glaze in its “Azure Lotus Teacup” series, where tea seeping into hairline cracks creates evolving patterns, as if the vessel itself breathes. The brand also fuses Longquan and Ru aesthetics, such as the “Jade Meets Sky” dinnerware collection, blending plum-green celadon with Ru-style gold-veined cracks to epitomize Song Dynasty minimalism.
III. Artisan Spirit: The Rebirth of Lost Techniques
Every TAOTAO piece embodies the perseverance of heritage guardians:
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Xu Chaoxing & the “Revival Team”: In 1958, Xu and seven others formed the Longquan Celadon Restoration Group. After 10,000 trials, they resurrected the lost plum-green glaze. TAOTAO now collaborates with his disciples to adapt “thin-body, thick-glaze” techniques into modern mugs.
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Zheng Yuanbin’s Iron-Body Aesthetics: The “Iron Grace” coffee cup series, made from 6% iron-rich clay, challenges no-crackle firing to juxtapose rugged texture with luminous glaze, interpreting the Eastern philosophy of “harmony in contrasts.”
IV. Contemporary Legacy: Keeping Heritage Alive in Modern Life
TAOTAO reimagines tradition through innovation, building an ecosystem where “people, objects, and daily life” converge:
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Celadon Academy: Partnering with master artisans to transform Song-era bowls into ergonomic coffee drippers, while creating a global digital library of 3,000+ celadon patterns for young designers.
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Eco-Kiln Initiative: Reviving Qing Dynasty kilns with low-carbon wood-firing techniques, crafting “Civilization Fragments” vases from recycled shards, and tracking clay’s lifecycle from soil to soil.
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Rural Co-Creation: Training “Mom Potters” in Qujialing to craft hand-pinched wind chimes, and collaborating with autistic children on “Starry Clay Tiles” for public art walls.
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Cross-Border Storytelling: A mobile kiln truck globally tours to demo live celadon firing, while 3D digital exhibitions animate Ru Kiln crackling into ink-wash landscapes, inviting the world to touch living Eastern aesthetics.
V. Mission: Illuminating China’s “Living Heritage”
TAOTAO is more than a ceramic brand – it bridges antiquity and modernity. From Qujialing’s black pottery symbols to Longquan’s emerald peaks, from Ru’s celestial blues to today’s dining tables, TAOTAO tells the story of Chinese ceramics evolving from “cultural legacy” to “cultural vitality.” Whether through artisans’ fingertips, reborn shards, rural communities, or digital innovation, the brand’s creed resonates:
“Clay speaks no words, yet carries millennia of civilization;
Kiln fires never cease, forging new life through the ages.”