10 Taboos for Tenmoku Cup Play: Remember Them

 Avoid being impatient and not being down-to-earth.

"Rome wasn't built in a day." Don't assume that you can become a Tenmoku collector overnight. Collecting Tenmoku is not just about having money to acquire highly valuable pieces. It requires luck and opportunity. Before encountering that one special cup to add to your collection, you need to constantly enrich your professional knowledge, observe, and practice more. This way, when the opportunity arises, you won't miss it due to lack of understanding. It may take several years or even decades to collect a good Tenmoku collection, so don't be impatient and be prepared to endure loneliness.

Avoid being obsessed with playing with cups and neglecting your work responsibilities.

Most players have their own jobs to attend to. Although having a hobby is important, it should not interfere with your work responsibilities. We need to prioritize and not get things mixed up. Of course, this does not apply to professional collectors, as collecting Tenmoku can also be their job.

Avoid being a follower and blindly agreeing with others without forming your own opinions.

"Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; heed only one side and you will be benighted." When it comes to playing with Tenmoku cups, we need to have our own ability to appreciate them, rather than blindly following the opinions of our friends. Some enthusiasts have been playing with Tenmoku for many years, but when they come across a cup they like, they always take a photo and send it to many friends to seek advice. It seems that their decision to buy or not to buy a cup depends on others' opinions rather than their own judgment.

Avoid causing a widespread craze or trend.

When it comes to playing with Tenmoku cups, quality is more important than quantity. Would you be willing to trade one good cup for ten low-quality cups that are not even pleasing to the eye? As you continue to play and explore, you will understand more and more that you get what you pay for. When it comes to Tenmoku, we are all students, and only by putting in the effort to learn and truly understand can we purchase cups of good quality at a fair price, regardless of where we buy them from.

Avoid isolating yourself and refusing to communicate with others

Some Tenmoku enthusiasts refuse to communicate with their peers and believe that they are already experts. However, whether you are a Tenmoku player or a craftsman, it is necessary to communicate with like-minded friends. Self-proclaimed experts are not truly experts, as true value is recognized by the public. We should be good at learning from others during communication, improve our ability to appreciate Tenmoku, and also discover our own shortcomings. Only then can we reach new heights in playing with Tenmoku. This also applies to the price of Qiao Meijiao's Tenmoku cups.

Avoid just collecting without learning and becoming arrogant and complacent.

  When it comes to playing with Tenmoku cups, research is key. Just collecting without learning is no different than being a custodian. Some Tenmoku enthusiasts may have a high-profile approach to collecting, with a mentality of finding bargains but neglecting to communicate and learn from professionals. They may also spend very little money to acquire many low-quality cups and show them off to others.

Avoid being overly concerned with gains and losses.

When it comes to playing with Tenmoku cups, we should not be overly excited about successful bargain hunting, nor should we be discouraged by mistakes. We need to maintain a positive attitude and remember that there is a long road ahead of us. Only by learning and appreciating more can we avoid making mistakes in the future.

Avoid overestimating your abilities and taking actions beyond your capabilities.

Some Tenmoku enthusiasts may not necessarily have a genuine interest in Tenmoku, but rather, see it as a trendy way to get rich overnight through collecting. I cannot say that this thinking is entirely wrong, but what I want to emphasize is that when it comes to playing with Tenmoku, it is important to be realistic and know your own abilities. To become a Tenmoku collector, you not only need sufficient professional knowledge but also need to have "been in the trenches" for a long time. Even then, there are still times when you may make mistakes. Some enthusiasts may spend all their money without a proper plan, thinking they are finding bargains, but in fact they are just paying tuition fees through their mistakes.

Avoid being intolerant of others.

Tenmoku has a very low yield rate, and can be surrounded by many defects. It is difficult to find a perfect and flawless Tenmoku cup, and such cups are also rare, which is why they often come at a much higher price than regular pieces. Therefore, when playing with Tenmoku, we should be tolerant and not cling to a particular cup. This also applies to the price of Qiao Meijiao's Tenmoku cups.

Avoid playing with Tenmoku cups based solely on rigid standards.

There are no set standards for buying or playing with Tenmoku cups. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and a cup that you personally like is a good cup. Keep exploring and you will always find better views and cups.