Small Tea Cups

The teacup is made from high-quality white mud, giving it a smooth and elegant texture. The surface is covered in a lovely white glaze, which creates a beautiful and glossy finish. The cup is adorned with overglaze colours in two different patterns.

One of the patterns depicts children setting off firecrackers, a symbol of celebration and joy in Chinese culture. The other pattern shows a child with good fortune, representing prosperity and good luck. Both patterns are intricate and detailed, featuring vibrant colours that contrast beautifully against the white background.

Due to being entirely hand-painted, each painting has slight differences.

This tiny teacup is a testament to traditional artistry and meticulous attention to detail. The porcelain body ensures a refined tea-drinking experience, allowing the true flavours and aromas of your tea to shine through.

The hand-painted Chinese orchid pattern brings a sense of natural beauty and tranquillity, while the silver trim adds a touch of sophistication. This teacup’s minimalist design makes it a perfect fit for both traditional and contemporary tea settings.

Features:

• Porcelain Body: Made from high-quality porcelain, this teacup is both sturdy and durable, providing a smooth and refined touch.
• Chinese Orchid Design: The teacup features a beautiful hand-painted Chinese orchid pattern in soft, natural hues, adding a touch of serenity and elegance to your tea-drinking experience.
• Silver Trim: The rim of the teacup is elegantly finished with a silver trim, enhancing its visual appeal and adding a sophisticated touch.
• Minimalist Elegance: The simple yet graceful design reflects a minimalist aesthetic, making this teacup a versatile addition to any tea set or decor.

It is ideal for everyday use or special occasions; this tiny teacup is perfect for enjoying your favorite teas. Its elegant appearance and high-quality craftsmanship make it a beautiful addition to any tea collection.

Whether you are enjoying a peaceful moment alone or hosting a tea gathering with friends, it will elevate your tea experience, combining the best of traditional craftsmanship and modern elegance.

This hat cup is handcrafted using the technique of gold painting, Lang Hong colouring and enamel glazed paint. The pattern on its painting is Dunhuang-style, with vibrant and luxurious colours, exuding a sense of luxury and elegance.

Gold painting, one of the decorative techniques, involves applying gold powder (gold dust) or bright gold (gold solution) on the porcelain surface to create intricate patterns or to complement other decorations as borders or a golden background. Afterwards, the cup is fired at a low temperature to achieve the final finish. The rim of this teacup’s mouth employs the gold painting technique.

The patterns on this cup depict Dunhuang-style designs, layered and intricate, displaying a rich array of colours. Among them, the lotus pattern is the most used decorative motif in Dunhuang art. From the Northern Liang to the Yuan Dynasty, lotus flowers can be found in every cave of the Mogao Grottoes. In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes purity and enlightenment. It is believed that one’s soul can attain rebirth through the lotus, leading to the blissful Western Pure Land. Within the Mogao Grottoes, lotus flowers adorn the background, embellishing figures of bodhisattvas and celestial beings, embodying the sacred and immaculate nature of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Hence, the lotus is the quintessential flower representing Buddhism. Apart from the lotus, another significant motif is the honeysuckle, also known as Jin Hua (golden-silver flower).  It is an important decorative symbol in Dunhuang art, introduced alongside Buddhist art in China as a decorative floral theme.  The rise of honeysuckle patterns in China occurred nearly simultaneously with the spread of Buddhism.  Its extensive use in Buddhist decorations during the Northern Dynasties influenced secular ornamentation at that time.  Honeysuckle blooms during summer, transitioning from white to yellow after budding, shedding old leaves in late autumn, and promptly producing new leaves.  It endures even in the harshest winter conditions, quietly thriving in the wild with minimal requirements of water and soil.  As a result, the honeysuckle pattern found abundant application in Buddhist-related decorations, drawing from its persistent growth characteristics. Furthermore, the motif of the “Baoxiang Flower,” also known as Baoxianhua or Baolianhua, is another traditional auspicious pattern in Dunhuang decorations.  It is one of the auspicious Three Treasures and was prevalent during China’s Sui and Tang Dynasties.  The concept of “Baoxiang” originates from Buddhism, where it refers to a respectful term for Buddhist images.  The Baoxiang Flower represents an idealized form of purity, grace, and beauty.

In addition to these captivating decorative patterns, the craftsmanship of Lang Hong ceramics is also deserving of praise. Firstly, the full name of Lang Hong is “Langyao Red,” also known as “Gem Red” or “Ox Blood Red.” It is one of the most vibrant colours in traditional Chinese precious copper red glazes. Lang Hong glaze is achieved by using copper as a colouring agent and firing it at a high temperature of 1300°C. Since copper elements easily evaporate at high temperatures, the range of colour expression is limited. The firing process demands strict control over the atmosphere and temperature, and the outcome is greatly affected by external factors, making it a highly challenging process to successfully produce Lang Hong ceramics. Lang Hong glaze boasts a smooth and translucent surface, resembling glass, with crackled patterns resembling cow hair texture.  The glaze exhibits a deep and vivid colour, resembling freshly congealed ox blood with its brilliant crimson hue, symbolizing auspiciousness, and wealth.  Revered as a “treasure among a thousand kilns,” the red-glazed porcelain of Lang Hong showcases a distinctive ethnic style, shining like a dazzling gem in the history of world ceramics.  The colour red, known for its auspiciousness and affluence, has elevated Lang Hong ceramics to a radiant and remarkable masterpiece in the realm of ceramic art.

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.

This hat cup showcases exquisite Lang Hong craftsmanship, with intricate and delicate Dunhuang patterns that carry profound symbolism.

In Chinese culture, the dragon is a very important symbol and totem with rich symbolism. Firstly, the dragon is one of the most sacred, authoritative, and noble images in ancient Chinese culture. It is the incarnation of the gods of heaven, earth, and water, representing supreme authority and divine power. Secondly, the dragon is considered a symbol of good luck in Chinese culture. As it has the special power to control rainfall, it is also seen as the protector of agriculture, representing a bountiful harvest and prosperity. Additionally, the dragon has many other symbolic meanings, such as longevity, authority, success, courage, and wisdom. In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon is a noble, mysterious, and awe-inspiring image, representing people’s yearning for the unknown and the spirit of exploration.

This teacup is made in the style of the Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain, completely handmade and hand painted. The blue and white dragon pattern is vivid, showcasing ancient cultural and aesthetic values, allowing people to immerse themselves in a beautiful artistic atmosphere while enjoying their tea.

For Yuan blue and white porcelain refers to the blue and white porcelain produced during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) in China. The Yuan dynasty was an important period in the history of Chinese porcelain and one of the peaks of Chinese porcelain art. As one of the representatives of that era, Yuan blue and white porcelain exhibited unique artistic styles and technical levels. The characteristic of Yuan blue and white is the use of cobalt blue pigment for painting, which is made of cobalt oxide. After firing, the colour is bright and rich, with extremely high decorative effect. Yuan blue and white porcelain has various shapes, thick and heavy, concise, and fluent lines, and stable and solemn shapes, all made exquisitely.

The evolution of Yuan blue and white is based on the foundation of Tang and Song celadon. Firstly, the glaze colour was improved and innovated. Unique white glaze, eggshell glaze and blue-white glaze were invented to make the glaze crystal clear. Cobalt pigment was imported for glaze colouring. Or using the pigment made from domestic materials.

The formation of tin spots on Yuan blue and white 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 teacup has a thick body and uses the Su Ma Li Qing glaze material (a kind of blue pigment), with a heavy sense of tin spots, revealing a unique charm of the past era. The entire production process is completed by hand, and every detail has been carefully designed and polished, giving this teacup a unique artistic charm. The blue and white dragon pattern is vivid, showcasing ancient cultural and aesthetic values, allowing people to immerse themselves in a beautiful artistic atmosphere while enjoying their tea.

This teacup is made in the style of the Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain, matt glaze finish, completely handmade and hand painted. The pattern of “一鹭莲科” or “一路连科” in Chinese culture is derived from the beautiful combination of the heron and lotus leaves. As “鹭” (heron) and “路” (path/road) have the same pronunciation, and “莲” (lotus) sounds like “连” (successive/continuous), the name “一路连科” is a play on words that conveys the beautiful meaning of the pattern. In ancient times, successive successful candidates in the imperial examinations were called “连科,” and “一路连科” is a good wish for students to have a smooth career path and achieve success step by step.

For Yuan blue and white porcelain refers to the blue and white porcelain produced during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) in China. The Yuan dynasty was an important period in the history of Chinese porcelain and one of the peaks of Chinese porcelain art. As one of the representatives of that era, Yuan blue and white porcelain exhibited unique artistic styles and technical levels. The characteristic of Yuan blue and white is the use of cobalt blue pigment for painting, which is made of cobalt oxide. After firing, the colour is bright and rich, with extremely high decorative effect. Yuan blue and white porcelain has various shapes, thick and heavy, concise, and fluent lines, and stable and solemn shapes, all made exquisitely.

The evolution of Yuan blue and white is based on the foundation of Tang and Song celadon. Firstly, the glaze colour was improved and innovated. Unique white glaze, eggshell glaze and blue-white glaze were invented to make the glaze crystal clear. Cobalt pigment was imported for glaze colouring. Or using pigment made from domestic materials.

The formation of tin spots on Yuan blue and white 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 teacup is small and exquisite and uses the Su Ma Li Qing glaze material (a kind of blue pigment), with a heavy sense of tin spots, revealing a unique charm of the past era. The entire production process is completed by hand, and every detail has been carefully designed and polished, giving this teacup a unique artistic charm.