Large Tea Cups

This Gaiwan is completely handmade and hand-painted. The special craft used in this teaware includes Blue and white underglaze colour and underglaze red. The special horseshoe-shaped design allows for easy handling and prevents becoming too hot to touch.

The pattern featured is called “Bao Xiang” in Chinese, which is a traditional decorative motif representing one of the auspicious three treasures (Bao Xiang flower, Money tree, and Treasure basin), prevalent during the Sui and Tang dynasties in China. Bao Xiang pattern is also known as ‘Bao Xian Hua’ or ‘Bao Lian Hua’. Its lines are clear, and the colour is serene and antique. The Bao Xiang pattern design of this teaware is neat, and complex but not messy, and the whole picture of it is full and rich in details.

In Chinese culture, the Bao Xiang pattern symbolizes auspiciousness and happiness, representing people’s aspirations for happiness. It is widely popular in the decoration of silk brocade, bronze mirrors, and porcelain, showcasing people’s pursuit of a better life.

This Gaiwan features smooth and concise curves, combining the unique beauty of the Bao Xiang pattern, creating a visually appealing and enjoyable tea-drinking experience. The blue and red underglaze colours complement each other and create a beautiful radiance.

This Gaiwan is handcrafted using the technique of Blue-and-white underglaze colour and enamel glazed painting. The design features a pattern of butterflies amid flowers, displaying rich and lifelike colours, creating a unique and charming ambiance.

Blue and White Enamel is a distinctive porcelain decoration technique that combines the traditional methods of blue and white with enamel. It is a variation of the traditional Chinese porcelain production, blending the characteristics of blue and white with enamel, resulting in a captivating and unique decorative style.

Blue and White refers to the technique of painting blue patterns on the porcelain surface. It originated during the Yuan dynasty but reached its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This decorative method uses cobalt oxide blue pigments that fuse with the porcelain surface at high temperatures, ensuring the patterns’ durability.

Enamel, on the other hand, is a decorative technique that involves transplanting the cloisonné enamel method onto a porcelain body as an overglaze colour decoration. Enamel decoration on porcelain, known as “Fàlángcǎi” in Chinese, entails painting colourful patterns on the porcelain surface and then firing it at high temperatures to fuse the colours with the porcelain, achieving a durable and splendid design. These patterns often feature exquisite themes such as flowers, birds, figures, and landscapes, reflecting the essence of traditional Chinese culture and art.

The process of creating enamel decorations is extremely intricate and complex, requiring skilled and experienced craftsmen. First, the porcelain prototype is made, and then special mineral pigments are used to paint patterns on its surface. Once the painting is completed, a series of firing processes follow, during which the temperature and timing for both the porcelain and the enamel colours are crucial factors. Improper temperature or timing can result in cracks in the porcelain or unstable colours. Enamel decoration is considered a treasure in traditional Chinese craftsmanship, representing the wisdom and skills of ancient Chinese artisans.

The combination of blue and white enamel unites these two techniques, typically starting with the blue and white technique to depict blue patterns, and then applying enamel decoration to add additional colours and enhance the visual effect and three-dimensional sense of the design. This decorative method enriches the patterns on the porcelain while preserving the distinctive features of both blue and white and enamel techniques. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, blue and white enamel reached its peak and became one of the main styles for porcelain decoration at that time.

The design of this Gaiwan showcases lifelike patterns of butterflies amid flowers. “Butterflies in Love with Flowers” symbolizes sweet love and blissful marriage. In recent times, people have endowed this motif with more profound meanings, expressing good wishes and symbolizing beautiful and prosperous love. Butterflies are often seen as symbols of happiness and love, inspiring and captivating people’s imagination, and aspirations. In traditional Chinese literature, a pair of flying butterflies represents the pursuit of free and passionate love. Butterflies are loyal to their mates, having only one partner throughout their lives, making them a symbol of fidelity in the insect world. Moreover, there is a beautiful Chinese folktale known as “The Butterfly Lovers,” which further enhances the symbolism of sweet love and harmonious marriage associated with the motif of butterflies and flowers.

This enamel-decorated Gaiwan displays a rich and colourful palette, with lively and dynamic brushstrokes, immersing people in an elegant artistic ambiance while enjoying their tea.

The style of this super beautiful Gaiwan is Ming, using the underglaze blue technique, and entirely handcrafted and hand painted. The pattern on the lid features a classic design of intertwining lotus branches (known as Chanzhi Lian), while the pattern on the body of Gaiwan showcases the traditional Chinese twin lotus motif. The design of the tall style with an outward-flared mouth extends the curvature of the Gaiwan, making it less likely to scald one’s hand during use. The short style, on the other hand, is delicate and compact, with a thicker body, suitable for tea drinkers with smaller hands.

In ancient China, the twin lotus due to its symbolic meaning is regarded as the gentleman among flowers. It represents the finest specimen among lotus flowers and symbolises a harmonious and everlasting union. The twin lotus, with one stem and two blooms, epitomizes the notion of unity, shared roots, shared blessings, and shared existence. Besides that, in ancient literary works, the twin lotus is acclaimed as a symbol of love, conveying the message of marital harmony, happiness, and representing the tender affection between lovers. It is also associated with deep brotherly love, signifying profound emotional bonds between siblings. In folklore, the appearance of twin lotus is considered an auspicious sign of good fortune.

In addition, the beautiful tin spots on the porcelain add even more unique charm to it. The formation of tin spots is due to the high content of iron elements in local parts of the blue pigment. After reaching saturation in the high-temperature glaze solution and cooling down, the iron elements in the supersaturated part start to precipitate. If the iron content of the blue pigment is higher and the cooling rate is appropriate, tin spots are more likely to appear on the surface of the ware.

In addition to firing and materials, the formation of tin spots also involves the factor of glaze material. During the painting process, tin spots can also be formed due to the accumulation of blue pigment. Tin spots are more likely to appear on the surface of the ware at the intersections and the starting and ending points of brushstrokes. The formation of tin spots can be said to be a natural creation or an artificial decoration. This tin glazes not only add a rustic texture to the Gaiwan but also imbue it with a unique sense of history.

The delicate brushstrokes and intricate detailing of the painting on this Gaiwan create a distinct sense of aesthetic appeal. The soft and elegant shade of underglaze blue, along with a hint of faint tin glaze, gives it a graceful and ethereal beauty under the light. This Gaiwan exudes a simple yet elegant charm, reminiscent of the style of imitation Ming, making it truly captivating and irresistible.