A masterful piece of Jingdezhen teaware with a beautiful ancient Chinese profile. Handmade and handpainted with peaches (a symbol of longevity)
This is one of my most treasured and used cups for so many reasons.
First, let's talk about the shape and size. The shape is reminiscent of ancient Chinese teaware with a little upstand base blooming to a larger rounded vessel. Despite its profile, it is incredibly stable. This is mostly due to the thickness at the base giving it a low centre of gravity. In the hands, it feels substantial and the wide rim makes drinking from this cup a slurpers dream.
This cup is a larger Gong Fu cup with a capacity to the rim of about 80ml. Recently I have been enjoying slightly larger cups because, while it will sit happily in a shared Gong Fu session, it is also great for solo brewing because you don't have to fill your cup so often. I also love to pair this cup with a 100ml Gaiwan and pour directly from the Gaiwan into the cup for a deluxe Gong Fu Solo session (a 100ml Gaiwan usually produces 70ml of tea).
Secondly, let's spotlight the immaculate artistry of this piece.
This cup is handmade in Jingdezhen - sculpted by the skilled craftspeople of this area on wheels by hand. It is fired and then handpainted with the Chinese symbol of longevity and immortality - peaches. It has been given a lovely dusky brown rim and then re-fired with special blend of glazes which are designed to shrink and form small cracks. These will become stained with tea of the years giving a unique eggshell craquelure effect which will bring even more unique character and an 'aged' look to this treasure.
