A piece that brings together all three qualities: a distinctive shape, an unusual glaze, an elegant motif. Introducing the White Chrysanthemum Relief Gaiwan, 120ml.
The Chrysanthemum: The principal motif is white chrysanthemums in full bloom. In tea culture, the chrysanthemum stands for longevity ("Fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea, longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain") and for the serene spirit of the sage, indifferent to fame and gain.
Relief work: The snow-white chrysanthemum petals are modelled in relief, standing out from the surface in three dimensions. Holding the bowl, your fingers meet the raised petals – a texture that feels genuinely alive and satisfying in the hand, quite unlike a flat painted design.
This is the detail that sets this gaiwan apart from the rest:
Tall, deep body: The bowl rises high with a gently incurved rim, like an inverted bell.
The advantage: This design holds the aroma exceptionally well. The fragrance of the tea lingers within the bowl far longer and rises straight to the nose the moment the lid is lifted. The tall body also puts more distance between the hot liquor and the rim you hold, keeping your fingers comfortably cool.
The ground glaze is a beautiful gradient wash of jade green, evoking a landscape veiled in mist and smoke, against which the white chrysanthemums stand out all the more vivid and pure.
From every angle the glaze shifts and changes, a pleasure to contemplate.
120ml capacity: The standard size for the seasoned tea drinker (gongfu cha).
The porcelain: Thick and substantial, high-fired, with a dense, hard body that resists tea staining and retains heat well.
All products are in stock and on display in our shops.
