你认识这种杯子吗？

I discovered something in Beijing recently that truly is, as the expression goes, my cup of tea.

我最近在北京发现了心爱之物。
Much as in romance, it was the sheer beauty of what I beheld that first caught my attention. But it was the integrity of, and story behind, the objects of my obsession — jian zhan teacups — that eventually won me over.

我第一眼就因外形爱上了建盏，但它背后的故事才是真正打动了我。
Interestingly enough, many of my Chinese friends mistakenly believe these teacups, also called tea pots for their sturdy construction, are of Japanese origin.
有趣的是，我的很多中国朋友都以为建盏来源于日本。

But this clay tea ware that I've grown so fond of has a long tradition in China, with roots reaching back to Fujian province in the Song Dynasty (420-479).

其实建盏可以追溯到宋朝时期的福建。
The beauty of the cups comes from the iron-rich clay and glaze used in making them, as well as the glorious transformation that occurs in the superheated, fire-belching traditional kilns. The result is an astounding array of spectacular glaze colors and patterns.

因为陶土富含铁质，因此建盏有独特的光泽和颜色。
The appreciation of jian zhan increases as one gains a better understanding of how a certain magic determines the magnificence, and hence the asking price, of these unique teacups.

随着一个人对建盏了解的深入，他就会更加欣赏它的卓越之处。
In the West, the word teacup often calls to mind dainty porcelain pieces meant for genteel sipping. Jian zhan, however, are weighty in the hand and solidly constructed, and tea sophisticates swear by them.

在西方，茶杯都很轻巧，但是建盏很沉，对茶叶也有加持。
According to the website of Crimson Lotus Tea, "When we're analyzing teas for purchase we can't use these cups. They make everything taste better."

网上说，建盏会让茶叶味道更香，会混淆茶叶的真实价值。
The website Verdant Tea says jian zhan absorb tea oils over time and tend to "smooth out teas, bringing out their sweetness while evening out texture".

另一个网站写到，建盏会吸收茶油，带出茶叶的香甜味。
Some fans, including myself, buy a single special cup that comes with a fancy wooden or leather carrying case. 

包括我在内的一些建盏粉丝都会买一个建盏。
My favorite jian zhan, purchased recently for a mere 650 yuan ($93), is a gorgeous blue whose sheen on the inside rim reminds me of a favorite Bianchi bicycle from years back, which had light blue, metal-flake paint that virtually glowed in sunlight.

我最喜欢的建盏价值650元，它的蓝色让我想起多年前最爱的比安奇自行车。那辆车的金属蓝色在阳光会熠熠发光。
The process by which jian zhan take shape begins with the earth underfoot, or more precisely the clay. And not just any clay, but a very special type specific to Fujian.

烧制建盏的陶土非常特殊，只有福建有。
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says this about the teacups' composition: "New analysis of ancient Jian wares reveals the distinctive pottery contains an unexpected and highly unusual form of iron oxide.

 美国劳伦斯伯克利国家实验室表示，新的研究结果表明，建盏还有大量少见的氧化铁元素。
This rare compound, called epsilon-phase iron oxide, was only recently discovered and characterized by scientists and so far has been extremely difficult to create with modern techniques."

科学家最近才发现了这种稀有的ε相氧化铁。现代科技非常难以合成这种元素。
The lab says the findings by an international team of researchers "could lead to an easier, more reliable synthesis of epsilon-phase iron oxide, enabling better, cheaper magnetic materials including those used for data storage".

实验室表示，这一发现会让合成ε相氧化铁工作变得更加简易可靠，从而打造更好更低价的磁材。
The Berkeley Lab summarizes the jian zhan production process thusly: "To make the pottery, ancient artisans used local iron-rich clay coated with a mixture of clay, limestone, and wooden ash.

实验室总结道，古人利用本地富含铁元素的陶土，添加混合土、石灰和木屑的外层来制作建盏。

Kiln temperatures of 1,300 C (nearly 2,400 Fahrenheit) hardened the clay, melted the coating, and bubbled oxygen within the glaze, pushing iron ions to the surface. 

1300度的高温坚固了陶土，将铁元素分离至表层。
As the glaze cooled, molten iron flux flowed down the sides of the ceramics and crystallized into iron oxides imparting characteristic patterns."

温度下降后，氧化铁到表面，行程纹路。
And there you have it. But neither the lab nor any amount of science can explain why this ancient form of teacup is so endearing. 

不过实验室和科学都无法解释建盏为何如此讨喜。
Maybe it's the dense, earthy feel that helps ground our thoughts and emotions as we drink tea. 

也许这种接地气的感觉让我们在喝茶时能平心静气。
Perhaps it's the way the teacups dazzle the eye (some feature real leaves of golden autumn hues embedded beneath the glaze). Or maybe they appeal to our longing for simpler, traditional ways.

也许这就是建盏耀眼的原因，或者它们符合了我们对简单传统的追求。
But whatever the reason, whenever I encounter these glorious reminders of long-ago China, I quickly succumb to their iron-flux magic.

无论原因如何，每当我看到建盏，都会屈服于它的神奇。