Hao Shijiu’s original surname is Wu, also known as Guowei, and also nicknamed Taoist Huyin. A native of Jingdezhen, Fuliang, Ming Dynasty. He was born in the early Jiajing period and died in the late Wanli period (1522-1620 AD). He was a famous porcelain maker in the Ming Dynasty who was famous for his production of highly sophisticated thin-bodied porcelain.
Hao Shijiu was born in a porcelain-making family. He was taught by his family and his masters, and his porcelain-making skills are comprehensive and superb. The thin-bodied porcelain produced is as thin as an eggshell and is extremely wonderful. The most famous ones are "Egg Curtain Cup" and "Liuxia Zhan". The "Egg Curtain Cup" was once hailed as one of the nine pinnacle porcelain products in history. It only weighs half a baht (twenty-four baht is one tael). It is as light as a floating cloud and is ingenious. "Liu Xia Zhan" is as bright as a jade pearl and as colorful as red clouds. Li Rihua, a man of the Ming Dynasty, wrote a poem in praise of it:
I went to the market to find cinnabar, and the sound of pines and clouds came from the sky;
Pingjun lights up the Liuxia lamp and goes to Fanlan Pavilion Jiuququan.
Hao Shijiu is not only good at making thin-bodied porcelain, but also good at making antique porcelain. The pots made are light green in color and elegant in style, much like those made by Guan kilns and Ge kilns in the Song Dynasty.
Hao Shijiu is also good at poetry, calligraphy and painting. His calligraphy is similar to that of Zhao Mengshun, a great calligrapher of the Yuan Dynasty. He decorated the porcelain with poems, calligraphy and paintings. The more exquisite the porcelain became, the more people loved it. His kiln was called "Hugong Kiln". All the products of Hugong Kiln were searched for at high prices, and it became famous all over the world. What is commendable is that Hao Shijiu does not seek profit from this. He is still a "Xi Men Weng Guo". His family is depressed and he lives a poor and frugal life, but he strives to improve his skills.