Gaiwan
A gaiwan is a lidded brewing bowl used to steep and decant loose-leaf tea. Its glazed surface is neutral, making it suitable for green, white, oolong, black and post-fermented teas without retaining the flavor of the previous session. This collection includes Jingdezhen porcelain gaiwans and a thin, lightweight bone china gaiwan. Compare form, weight, rim and decoration rather than choosing by appearance alone. A well-balanced gaiwan should feel secure in the hand, pour cleanly and leave enough room for the leaves to open.
One color enters the flame, thousand hues emerge.
“Into the kiln one color, out of the kiln a myriad of colors.”
This ancient Chinese proverb is often used to describe the magic of kiln-fired ceramics.
Before firing, the cobalt oxide painted on the raw clay body
looks a flat, quiet gray—nothing like the deep,
vibrant blue you see in the final cup.
Only when the kiln reaches over 1300°C,
and the flame’s atmosphere shifts from oxygen-rich to oxygen-starved,
does the magic happen: the gray blooms into that celebrated blue,
with misty edges, pooling depths, and brushstrokes suddenly alive.
The exact hue and softness of this blue depend on the kiln’s temperature,
the thickness of the glaze, and where the piece sits inside the kiln.
No two pieces, even from the same batch, come out identically blue.
Clay Body
Painted Unfired
Fully Fired
‘Lion and Brocade Ball’ Gaiwan
yellow ground and underglaze blue decoration
