Ren Xinghang, a native of Shenhou Town, Yuzhou City, Henan Province, is recognized as a representative inheritor of the Jun ware firing technique, a national intangible cultural heritage of China. Born into a family renowned for Jun ware, Ren is the ninth-generation successor of the Ren family's Jun ware legacy. From a young age, he learned the craft of firing for Jun ware from his grandfather Ren Shutian and father Ren Jian, systematically inheriting the Ren family's unique Jun ware making skills. He has fully mastered a range of Jun ware firing techniques, including kiln construction, glaze preparation, modeling, and firing and has profound expertise in kiln design and firing processes. Currently, he serves as the Vice President of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Art and Design Institute, Director of the Five Great Kilns Art Committee of the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association, a Guest Professor at Xuchang University, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yuzhou Xinghang Jun Ware Co., Ltd.

Ren Xinghang has a profound foundation in shaping Jun ware, adhering to the traditional craftsmanship of hand-throwing. His works are characterized by their regularity, simplicity, and dignified grandeur. Building upon the traditional Jun glazes passed down through his family, Ren Xinghang has developed more than ten new formulations of Jun ware glazes, enriching the color transformation in Jun kiln. His Jun ware pieces boast a creamy and jade-like luster, a harmonious interplay of colors, and exquisitely unique crackle patterns. The incredibly magical glaze color transformation in the kiln fully expresses its natural artistry. His replicas of Jun ware from the Song Dynasty, made with hand-thrown clay and fired in traditional wood-fueled kilns, achieve a level of artistic excellence that rivals the original. 

Ren Xinghang is not only dedicated to the creation of Jun ware but also to theoretical research. Since 2000, he has published many papers in newspapers and journals such as Henan Workers' Daily, Xuchang Daily, and Arts and Crafts. His academic papers, A Preliminary Study on the Firewood Firing Technology for Jun Ware and Unveiling the Mystery of Jun Ware Glaze Color Transformation in Kilns in the Qing Dynasty (co-authored), were published in the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Ancient Ceramics in 2005 and 2009, respectively. His book, Jun Art Through the Ages, was included in the Roots Book Series by the Henan Folklore Association and was published by Zhongyuan Publishing Media Group and Zhongyuan Peasants' Publishing House in 2008. In October 2010, Ren Xinghang Jun Ware Works Collection was published by the People's Fine Arts Publishing House. He co-authored the book Jun Ware with his daughter, Ren Yingge, which was edited by the Ceramics Department of Tsinghua University and published by Heilongjiang Publishing House.

Good Luck and Happiness

This Jun ware has a narrow mouth and straight neck, cut shoulder straight down to the abdomen, and slightly open feet. The abdomen is sharply angled and carved with a ruyi (happiness) pattern, echoing the two elephants sculpted on the shoulder and symbolizing auspiciousness and harmony. Jun ware is renowned for its unique glaze color transformation in the kiln and resulting rich and colorful glaze. The glaze on this piece resembles flowing clouds and rosy skies, with shades of red tinged with purple and blue interspersed with white, creating a vibrant yet harmonious palette. The thick, smooth, and jade-like glaze reminds people of jade and agate and seems to rival the beauty of nature. For those who appreciate traditional Chinese culture and the art of Jun ware, this piece is undoubtedly rare and valuable for collection.